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So I’ve been looking into Minneapolis for relocation and I’ve been curious to know if the city is going through growing strains, yt flight or is the issues presume as just political unrest. I’ve been noticing the crime there has been rampant.
I’ve lived in Detroit for years, so not having police is something the city got used too but also felt undervalued because of it. I’ve seen Detroit from its worst days with no street lights, to turning around for the best over the last few years with name brands moving their stores downtown.
Is Minneapolis losing it’s title for high quality of life? Will the city continue to go down the same path or change for the better? I work remotely so I’m attracted to the affordable housing there and miss the Midwest. But I’m not ready to live in another city again faced with political corruption and safety issues. I do know crime is everywhere but the carjacking and burglary seems way too common.
I’d say yes but I’m sure others will argue otherwise. We had 95 homicides in Minneapolis in 2021 for a city of 435k. To give you perspective Seattle has a population of 737k and had 43 homicides. Carjackings are out of control. Even spreading to the burbs. Police are going to have an upward battle for the next 5-10 years and so I imagine major staffing shortages and continued crime surges. If you’re dead set I’d advise going to a suburb.
Last edited by Minntoaz; 01-02-2022 at 10:49 PM..
Reason: Not clear
I’ve lived in Detroit for years, so not having police is something the city got used too but also felt undervalued because of it. I’ve seen Detroit from its worst days with no street lights, to turning around for the best over the last few years with name brands moving their stores downtown.
We recently had an opportunity present itself that would have required us to leave Minneapolis-- we turned it down because we decided we really have no desire/ intention of leaving the city. Based on your past experiences and knowledge of urban life, I think if you moved here you'd find that the city is still very livable and many things are getting over-hyped by people that don't actually live here.
Yes, crime has been skyrocketing (like in most cities nationally), and you will see people quote Minneapolis' 'small' population in relation to crime, but this is misleading-- unlike other major cities that continuously expanded city limits alongside major growth, the City of Mpls' last major outward geographic expansion was in 1887.
Yes, the city is rebuilding from much civil unrest, and this has impacted many local/neighborhood business nodes and will take a long time to restore. But some historic investments are being made in the rebuilding efforts.
And yes, MPD is dysfunctional and arguably corrupt as all get-out. But citizens are done putting up with the BS and there is way more pressure on elected officials and the city to improve than there ever has been in the past. I would expect to see some major changes in how the dept functions as well as increased focus on police accountability in collective bargaining agreements. But stabilizing the department will be a years-long process.
From my vantage point, there have been some small pockets of yt flight. Some of this is related to the crime increase, but families I know that have left typically also undervalue Mpls Public Schools and believe suburban schools (or greater home square footage purchasing power) are the answer for their now school-aged kids, which is really nothing new. I don't think the yt flight seen in urban centers in the 60s is likely to occur again-- there are too many demographic shifts happening locally and nationally right now, and millennials and younger generations value the ease and lower carbon footprint of urban living too much.
All in all, despite (a) being the nation's epicenter of civil unrest and justice movements, and (b) having a struggling police department that was dysfunctional/corrupt long before the murder of George Floyd-- the city has otherwise always been very stable with city government, city services, infrastructure investments, and extraordinary resident civic engagement-- I don't see that changing anytime soon and comparisons to Detroit (which I've spent a decent amount of time in over a period of years for work) are pretty far off-base IMO.
There are a lot of wonderful things about this city and its people if you immerse yourself in local culture that make living here very worth it for my family (with young children). But highrise luxury condos continue getting built at an alarming pace and it's becoming increasingly less affordable to live here, so if that and the police department/other dysfunction is cause for alarm, you can always look across the river to St. Paul, the smaller of the Twin Cities across the river. St Paul has many charms and a better track record and community orientation in its local policing. There may even be a few inner ring suburbs you might like depending on what you are ultimately looking for in a city/neighborhood, and all of the above operate completely independently from the City of Mpls. But I would avoid 2nd/3rd tier suburbs, that's where things get really scary in a bland, homogenous, Stepford-like way IMO
Last edited by Camden Northsider; 01-03-2022 at 08:40 PM..
Reason: Clarity
We recently had an opportunity present itself that would have required us to leave Minneapolis-- we turned it down because we decided we really have no desire/ intention of leaving the city. Based on your past experiences and knowledge of urban life, I think if you moved here you'd find that the city is still very livable and many things are getting over-hyped by people that don't actually live here.
Yes, crime has been skyrocketing (like in most cities nationally), and you will see people quote Minneapolis' 'small' population in relation to crime, but this is misleading-- unlike other major cities that continuously expanded city limits alongside major growth, the City of Mpls' last major outward geographic expansion was in 1887.
Yes, the city is rebuilding from much civil unrest, and this has impacted many local/neighborhood business nodes and will take a long time to restore. But some historic investments are being made in the rebuilding efforts.
And yes, MPD is dysfunctional and arguably corrupt as all get-out. But citizens are done putting up with the BS and there is way more pressure on elected officials and the city to improve than there ever has been in the past. I would expect to see some major changes in how the dept functions as well as increased focus on police accountability in collective bargaining agreements. But stabilizing the department will be a years-long process.
From my vantage point, there have been some small pockets of yt flight. Some of this is related to the crime increase, but families I know that have left typically also undervalue Mpls Public Schools and believe suburban schools (or greater home square footage purchasing power) are the answer for their now school-aged kids, which is really nothing new. I don't think the yt flight seen in urban centers in the 60s is likely to occur again-- there are too many demographic shifts happening locally and nationally right now, and millennials and younger generations value the ease and lower carbon footprint of urban living too much.
All in all, despite (a) being the nation's epicenter of civil unrest and justice movements, and (b) having a struggling police department that was dysfunctional/corrupt long before the murder of George Floyd-- the city has otherwise always been very stable with city government, city services, infrastructure investments, and extraordinary resident civic engagement-- I don't see that changing anytime soon and comparisons to Detroit (which I've spent a decent amount of time in over a period of years for work) are pretty far off-base IMO.
There are a lot of wonderful things about this city and its people if you immerse yourself in local culture that make living here very worth it for my family (with young children). But highrise luxury condos continue getting built at an alarming pace and it's becoming increasingly less affordable to live here, so if that and the police department/other dysfunction is cause for alarm, you can always look across the river to St. Paul, the smaller of the Twin Cities across the river. St Paul has many charms and a better track record and community orientation in its local policing. There may even be a few inner ring suburbs you might like depending on what you are ultimately looking for in a city/neighborhood, and all of the above operate completely independently from the City of Mpls. But I would avoid 2nd/3rd tier suburbs, that's where things get really scary in a bland, homogenous, Stepford-like way IMO
Has it occurred to you that crime is “skyrocketing” mostly in places where it was already sky-high with a few notable exceptions (*cough* Murderapolis *cough*) and vast majority of previously safe towns are just as safe today despite the pandemic that every criminal apologist has been screeching about? And has it occurred to you that the unprecedented crime wave in all those cities where streets were already running with blood was caused mostly by the defundie craze sweeping the nation that left the much-needed cops hogtied? You are where you are because criminals know perfectly well no cop will want to risk getting lynched on national TV trying to arrest a thug that’s violently resisting, and instead of realizing that cops are by no means perfect but they get to deal with the very worst of our society on a daily basis you’re still guzzling trainloads of Black Lying Millionaire koolaid and demanding even more lynchings.
Has it occurred to you that crime is “skyrocketing” mostly in places where it was already sky-high with a few notable exceptions (*cough* Murderapolis *cough*) and vast majority of previously safe towns are just as safe today despite the pandemic that every criminal apologist has been screeching about? And has it occurred to you that the unprecedented crime wave in all those cities where streets were already running with blood was caused mostly by the defundie craze sweeping the nation that left the much-needed cops hogtied? You are where you are because criminals know perfectly well no cop will want to risk getting lynched on national TV trying to arrest a thug that’s violently resisting, and instead of realizing that cops are by no means perfect but they get to deal with the very worst of our society on a daily basis you’re still guzzling trainloads of Black Lying Millionaire koolaid and demanding even more lynchings.
There's a difference between arresting someone who's violently resisting and someone being kneed in the neck for 9 minutes.
I cant say much about Minneapolis proper as I haven't lived there in a few years now but the immediate area (inner suburbs) surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul have felt safe to me. Carjackings occur in the city and the burbs now but it seems like common sense is the best way to avoid them (i.e. watch your surroundings). Minneapolis nearly got rid of their police department this last election cycle, so there is that to consider. Some people are all for seeing that happen while people who live in the city's most crime infested neighborhoods would rather not see that happen (go figure?). As far as the 'quality of life' issue in Minneapolis, it was good back when I lived there. If you can afford to live there, I would at least give it a try for awhile. Then you could decide if its too unsafe or not?
I cant say much about Minneapolis proper as I haven't lived there in a few years now but the immediate area (inner suburbs) surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul have felt safe to me. Carjackings occur in the city and the burbs now but it seems like common sense is the best way to avoid them (i.e. watch your surroundings). Minneapolis nearly got rid of their police department this last election cycle, so there is that to consider. Some people are all for seeing that happen while people who live in the city's most crime infested neighborhoods would rather not see that happen (go figure?). As far as the 'quality of life' issue in Minneapolis, it was good back when I lived there. If you can afford to live there, I would at least give it a try for awhile. Then you could decide if its too unsafe or not?
The name, "Police Department"? Yes. The function of city police? No.
It was a vote about restructuring and would have moved the police department into a division of the Department of Public Safety, which would also include a division of violence prevention and a division to handle mental health responses. That department head would report to the mayor. The current police department reports directly to the mayor. It also would have removed the police department from the city charter.
The name, "Police Department"? Yes. The function of city police? No.
It was a vote about restructuring and would have moved the police department into a division of the Department of Public Safety, which would also include a division of violence prevention and a division to handle mental health responses. That department head would report to the mayor. The current police department reports directly to the mayor. It also would have removed the police department from the city charter.
And it should be noted that the measure was soundly defeated.
The name, "Police Department"? Yes. The function of city police? No.
It was a vote about restructuring and would have moved the police department into a division of the Department of Public Safety, which would also include a division of violence prevention and a division to handle mental health responses. That department head would report to the mayor. The current police department reports directly to the mayor. It also would have removed the police department from the city charter.
So they tried to rid themselves from the charter which shutdown every attempt they tried prior?
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