Signs of progress on Minneapolis public safety

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

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Minneapolis is showing some signs of improvement in curbing violent crime. After a couple of years of alarming increases in shootings, carjackings and other public safety problems that prompted widespread community concern, the number of incidents fell in 2022.

According to the Star Tribune's homicide database, there were 82 homicides last year, down from the record-tying 97 the previous year. Those figures include murders, justifiable killings and fatal police encounters but exclude cases of negligent manslaughter. Carjackings, which peaked in 2021, also dropped about 20%. The number of shots recorded in the city fell 20%, resulting in 100 fewer victims compared to 2021.

Experts are uncertain why the declines occurred, and rates of most crimes remain above five-year pre-pandemic averages. But the welcome 2022 news is a sign that a combination of efforts may have had a positive impact on public safety — a turn of events that should help residents and citizens feel somewhat safer.

As with many crime trends, Minneapolis is not the only city experiencing declines. St. Paul has seen declines in some crime categories, although not homicides. Duluth has also recorded decreases. And though the FBI has not yet released is annual national crime statistics, the Star Tribune reported that preliminary data indicates that homicide rates are down in 50 major U.S. cities. For example, homicides fell 17% in Cincinnati, 12% in Indianapolis and 14% in Chicago.

Minneapolis officials point to "Operation Endeavor," a strategy developed by the city's first community safety commissioner, Cedric Alexander, and Mayor Jacob Frey to form partnerships among city, county, state and federal agencies. But data show some crimes started declining by August, the month before the city announced that effort. That suggests that other efforts, such as the increased presence of community violence prevention teams and the work of federal law enforcement and prosecutors, made a difference.

Some downtown and neighborhood leaders told an editorial writer that they've noticed an improvement in public safety. City Council member LaTrisha Vetaw, who chairs the Public Safety Committee and represents the Fourth Ward on the city's North Side, said that at the beginning of 2022 it seemed like crime would get worse as the year unfolded.

But after Operation Endeavor began later in the year, "word got out that police were starting to make arrests, starting to make busts, and it really helped the numbers," she said.

Steve Cramer, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District, told an editorial writer that his members noticed a "dramatically improved" environment the last few months of the year, with less visible drug dealing and loitering around bus and light rail stops. Cramer agreed that it is hard to know exactly what prompted the change and noted that it could be related to the city getting back to normal as COVID waned.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara has rightly cautioned that it's not yet time to do a "victory lap" on public safety. But he believes that 2022's declines will continue through 2023 if his department can recruit and hire the officers and other staff needed to stop relying so much on overtime, keep up with calls from citizens and conduct proper investigations.

That's encouraging. Coordinated law enforcement efforts like Operation Endeavor should continue while Minneapolis continues to bolster its Police Department with sworn officers committed to protecting the public and rebuilding trust.