Quick fixes help in Mpls. crime fight

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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It's a sight that's both jarring and comforting. Large — and undeniably ugly — concrete barriers went up on some Minneapolis streets over the weekend — an indication of just how desperate officials are to quell illegal street racing and other criminal activity.

Gunfire can be heard nightly in corners of the city, with nearly 5,000 calls of shots fired and 256 gunshot victims in just the first half of the year. This July 4th holiday saw 1,300 calls to 911 in just seven hours overnight.

These all are signs of a city where law enforcement resources have been stretched past the breaking point. Has crime overtaken the city? No, much of Minneapolis remains relatively safe and peaceful on most days. But no one should be complacent about that. There are sectors of the city where eruptions of violence and illegal activity have become common, threatening the safety of all who live, work or recreate there.

To show what even a small infusion of resources can do, the Minnesota State Patrol sent at least two dozen squads for high-visibility patrols in and around downtown this most recent weekend. On Friday night alone, it reported, troopers made 279 traffic stops. Some 47 drivers were ticketed for driving without a valid license (one can presume they probably also lacked insurance). Nearly a dozen motorists were arrested for impaired driving and four more for reckless driving. Who can say how many accidents were averted through those actions?

The fact is, enforcement makes a difference. Visibility makes a difference. Consequences make a difference.

The problem, as State Patrol Col. Matt Langer said in a recent television interview, is that "this isn't a cure-all." It is, he acknowledged a temporary measure. "But it's what Minnesotans want. It's what they want to feel safe and that intention for this weekend for a deterrent effect will be on full display."

Law-abiders and criminals alike know the Minneapolis Police Department is depleted. In a city of more than 400,000, there are 564 sworn officers, down from 886 just over two years ago.

Gov. Tim Walz recently OK'd requests from the MPD for helicopters that could be used to catch carjackers and for state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension analysts to track guns and gang activity. Walz said recently that the increased coordination resulted in more than 170 arrests and 109 gun confiscations. Those are welcome and needed additions, but also temporary.

Walz noted that the most important and long-lasting change state leaders could have made was to pass budget bills in the last legislative session that included significant boosts to funding for law enforcement.

It's been seven weeks now since Senate Republicans declared that they would not go along with a previous leadership agreement on major spending bills. Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, who earlier had signed an agreement that included equal measures of tax cuts and spending, reversed himself and said Republicans would not agree to new spending.

With that went any hope of using the state's considerable surplus to grant resources that are badly needed not just in Minneapolis, but in jurisdictions across the state. Minneapolis is not the only department suffering from law enforcement staffing shortages, it's just the most acute.

At one point, House and Senate versions of the public safety bill included police recruitment and retention bonuses, millions of dollars to increase police skills training, money for violent crime enforcement teams statewide, and a gunfire detection system for Ramsey County sheriffs. Some versions toughened penalties and created new ones. There were proposals for local policing grants, emergency community safety and victim support services.

Those resources could make a real difference, now and in the future.

On Thursday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey announced his nominee for the city's first public safety commissioner — Cedric Alexander, a veteran law enforcement official who also holds a doctorate in psychology.

If voted in by the City Council, Alexander said he wants to take a holistic approach to public safety that both increases law enforcement numbers and builds in needed reforms. In an interview Friday with Star Tribune Editorial Board members, Alexander said he has worked for and consulted with law enforcement agencies across the country.

Minneapolis, he said, is still suffering from the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. "People are hurt and angry and some have flat given up," Alexander said. His intention, he said, is to rebuild the department and public safety in Minnesota. That's a tall task. It would be made easier if state legislators could do their part to provide Minnesota cities and counties with the resources needed to accomplish the job.