Downtown Minneapolis--Crime Problems (Bloomington: schools, closing, compensation)

[Beck204]

My wife and I walk from our apartment in Loring Park to our office on Nicollet and 8th everyday. We often walk to restaurants and events downtown and have never had any issues other than panhandlers and drunks. My wife has to deal with urban troubadours telling her how fine she is and mildly harassing her, but she knows how to deal with that - avoid acknowledging them. We've both learned to avoid eye contact with people we generally wouldn't want to talk to - mirrored raybans are helpful because then the criminals can't see the fear in your eye. And yes, no matter what you think, your senses are heightened when walking on Nicollet by Marshall's. I have been seeing a lot of arrests downtown lately and love it - what are they doing downtown anyway? They're not working, they're not shopping, they're not going to concerts, they're not eating, they're are downtown cheat and steal - arrest them in droves and watch downtown flourish. Your average family in Eden Prairie, Burnsville, Woodbury, Forest Lake, Blaine, and Maple Grove will begin to spend their money downtown and our city will improve.

[ManBearPig1]

Originally Posted by TracyLPN

I have absolutely no desire to visit Downtown; too many people, expensive restaurants and bars, crazy drivers. I can think of a more productive way to spend my weekend than to venture to downtown Minneapolis. Just my opinion...

While, in a free country, such as ours pretends to be, you're entitled to such an opinion, I fail to see the relevance of this post to a thread about crime.

[dravogadro]

Plenty of police out and about this evening on Hennepin Ave, including Sheriffs.

If I am riding my bike across town, I always choose to bike through downtown. Plenty of light, south/north route has good light timing and fun people-watching.

I also love the DID ambassadors....

[ManBearPig1]

Originally Posted by dravogadro

I also love the DID ambassadors....

Me too! The DID ambassadors are absolutely great for downtown. They're cleanup help keeps downtown stay very clean, which is one of my favorite aspects of downtown Minneapolis relative to larger downtowns. They provide eyes on the street and are an easily noticed semi-official presence, which helps deter crime. They're also an easily approachable resource for tourists, out of towners and the like who need directions etc. A very wise move by the downtown businesses to work together to provide them, IMO.

[1stpontiac]

Originally Posted by dravogadro

Plenty of police out and about this evening on Hennepin Ave, including Sheriffs.

If I am riding my bike across town, I always choose to bike through downtown. Plenty of light, south/north route has good light timing and fun people-watching.

I also love the DID ambassadors....

Originally Posted by ManBearPig1

Me too! The DID ambassadors are absolutely great for downtown. They're cleanup help keeps downtown stay very clean, which is one of my favorite aspects of downtown Minneapolis relative to larger downtowns. They provide eyes on the street and are an easily noticed semi-official presence, which helps deter crime. They're also an easily approachable resource for tourists, out of towners and the like who need directions etc. A very wise move by the downtown businesses to work together to provide them, IMO.

I know I mentioned in another thread that it always floors me how friendly they are. They are out picking up garbage and whatnot, and yet they always stop, look up and smile and say hello or good-morning. Reminds me to break out of the going-to-the-office trudge and smile a bit, too.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

To the people who think downtown Minneapolis has some kind of rampant crime problem, be honest and tell me how many times you've actually been there recently? We're over there once or twice a week. If anything Ive noticed that it is more hoppin' down there. More people will most logically result in some more crime. It's fine down there though, it really is. At this point I'm far more worried about middle class white suburban kids legally obtaining assault weapons and bombs than I am about walking around downtown Minneapolis.

[Minnesota Spring]

LOL. This thread is pretty funny. I actually feel safer walking around Downtown Minneapolis than I do Disney World.
To stay away from Downtown because you fear for your safety is an absolute joke! Gotta watch out for those hipsters and bicyclist, oh my!

[Beenhere4ever]

Take a look at the MPD stats through July 17. Boggles my mind. 172 robberies in 2012, 87 in 2011. Leave your valuables at home. Or if you happen to be an unfortunate visitor, leave them in your hotel room. And if you can, take the skyways. I don't think the thugs are rampant there. Yet. RT Rybak is a disaster for the city. He lives by Lake Harriet in a neighborhood that is nearly crime-free. Probably has a parking space in the Government Center. His beloved downtown is dying, but does he care?

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/gro...s1p-095910.pdf

Some people want to make totally irrelevant comparisons like Detroit or Chicago. I just checked Portland Oregon, a city much more in our population size. 38 robberies downtown.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Beenhere4ever

Take a look at the MPD stats through July 17. Boggles my mind. 172 robberies in 2012, 87 in 2011. Leave your valuables at home. Or if you happen to be an unfortunate visitor, leave them in your hotel room. And if you can, take the skyways. I don't think the thugs are rampant there. Yet. RT Rybak is a disaster for the city. He lives by Lake Harriet in a neighborhood that is nearly crime-free. Probably has a parking space in the Government Center. His beloved downtown is dying, but does he care?

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/gro...s1p-095910.pdf

Some people want to make totally irrelevant comparisons like Detroit or Chicago. I just checked Portland Oregon, a city much more in our population size. 38 robberies downtown.

Is your comparison of 38 to 172 a downtown-to-downtown comparison? Or is the 172 number for the entire City of Minneapolis?

[ManBearPig1]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

Is your comparison of 38 to 172 a downtown-to-downtown comparison? Or is the 172 number for the entire City of Minneapolis?

That's downtown to downtown. There's been a spike in robberies this year, although I wouldn't equate that with "downtown dying" or needing to "leave your valuables at home." There's also been a drop in aggravated assaults downtown since 2010, for example. The larger picture of crime downtown, like anywhere, is more complex and dynamic that half a year's worth of data in a single category.