The meeting was called to order at 6:10PM by Larry Ranallo; 22 attenders
Our speaker from Minneapolis Animal Care and Control was Officer Anthony Schendel. First the numbers: Minneapolis Animal Care and Control is the most requested service in the city. Many of the calls are for advice about how to handle a situation. Wildlife, for example: if an animal is healthy, AC&C doesn’t handle it. All the department can do about squirrels in the attic is suggest you call a reliable animal removal service. But it’s a very different matter if a squirrel (or feral cat or a house pet) gets injured and needs help. This kind of call gets a quick response by trained staff who will either remove the animal to a rehabilitation facility, or will initiate compassionate euthanasia. If there is no AC&C vet on duty, the AC&C have contracts with off-site vets for euthanasia. Contrary to urban lore, they use the same quick acting injection your pet would get at a private veterinary. The driving idea for injured animal response is compassion, whatever direction that points to.
When stray pets are picked up by AC&C, they are held for 7 days. The first step is to post the animal’s picture to this location on their website: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/animals/lost/index.htm This database is updated every 15 minutes, so if you’re looking for your pet, look back regularly. If you spot your pet, the office is open to the public M-F from 1-6PM, Saturday 11:30 to 3:30, and closed on Sunday. (phone 612-673-MACC (6222) FFI)
The department has several strategies for rehoming animals that are not claimed by their people. A few animals can be adopted directly from AC&C but many of the animals brought in need socializing, some need training, or have medical problems that will take time to heal or resolve. The AC&C relies on their partner rescue organizations to meet these needs in their foster care programs. This does include injured animals who are taken to a foster owner while they mend and then found a home through the rescue group. An astonishing 91% percent of the animals picked up by AC&C make it out the door either by being reunited with their home people or by finding a new home through a rescue organization.
A big addition to the staff is that AC&C now has 3 vets on staff, which is a big step forward in taking good care of animals. The vets can now do minor surgical repair, spay, and neuter on site. Behavior evaluations are done by trained specialists.
AC&C provides important social support programs that have a very positive effect on human residents of Minneapolis. Social services programs are in operation 24/7 though they are somewhat restricted between 10:30 PM and 7 AM because of low staffing during those hours.
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1) “Domestic Violence Initiative” It is sadly true that people in an abusive relationship may remain out of fear for their pets’ welfare. If a person is working with a social worker or can provide a MPD Case number, the AC&C will pick up the animal and keep it at no charge for a 5 to 7 day safe hold. While the AC&C can’t permit animals to leave without a valid license and current vaccinations (which must be paid for before release), boarding and wellness check won’t run up fees for pets in this program.
2) There are other circumstances in which, at the request of several city agencies, AC&C will board an animal for 7-10 days for an owner who can’t currently provide for them. Costs of these programs to the owner will vary, and will always include the licensing fee and inoculations, as needed.
3) Any animal that is licensed but found on the street gets one free ride home. Tags are helpful but AC&C can do it with chip information as long as that’s current. If the animal is picked up a second time, the owner will receive a citation for permitting her animal to run loose. If the animal is impounded, there will be at least an impound and kenneling charge, starting at $70-100.
4) Animal abuse cases from negligence, from hoarding and from outright felony abuse are all channeled through AC&C. There is one Sgt. who specializes in felony abuse. Clearly, officers often go into a situation not knowing what they’re going to find. If a reported neglect is due to an owner’s decline, other needed social services are called in. This may be started with a 311 call by a friend or neighbor for a “welfare check” of the human, but it may also be started by a neglect or abuse report to AC&C. Recent notable felony abuse cases involved 66 dogs seized in one case and over 40 cats in another case. In cases of overcrowding, the Animal Humane Society will help out.
In the normal run of things, AC&C has 3 or 4 special transport vehicles on the street each day. They may be called in for any of the above situations.
Questions: Aggressive dogs loose: That is a 911 call because they can get there the fastest, but AC&C gets reports from both 311 and 911.
Rabies: what does a rabid animal look like or act like: The first signal is when a nocturnal animal appears during the day. (Exception: some urban raccoons are so used to people and have been fed by enough people they may show up to ask for a hand out.) Distemper makes an animal sluggish, slow.
City rules for animals at home: up to 3 dogs and cats are legal in a home, but after that you must take out a kennel license. This does not include puppies or kittens under 4 months. Chickens must always have a permit and roosters must have a special permit. A fowl permit can list chickens, pigeons, turkeys, ducks, quail. Minneapolis residents must also have a permit for large reptiles and amphibians. Check the website: http://minneapolismn.gov/animals/licenses/animal-permits
AC&C has a Volunteer Coordinator, and volunteers are very much needed. AC&C does not have the staff to give cats playtime or dogs a good daily walk or run while they are being held. Volunteers can also help with facilities services, doing laundry, and other services for animals in the facility during their holding period.
STATE OF THE PRECINCT: Inspector Todd Loining offered a detailed report, here highlighted: Overall violent crimes Year To Date are down 9.09%, leading the city. Robberies are down 52.17% (22 YTD in 2017 v. 46 in 2016). Sexual assaults, however are up 111.11% YTD which is 19 in 2017 v 9 in 2016 (NB: three of the 19 actually happened in 2016). Aggravated assaults are up YTD 21.88%, and burglary rose by 2.59% this year.
The Second Precinct Community Response Team (CRT) served 69 search warrants including 19 as a result of community requests. 14 guns were recovered and $59,292 of drug money seized. One call resulted in the discovery of 170g of meth, $2200 cash and counterfeit currency along with paper and items need to produce more counterfeit. A search warrant at the subject’s residence revealed another $16,000 in counterfeit money. Several days later the CRT was called to an accident scene where mj and mj candy were recovered from the “striking vehicle.” A search warrant at the subject’s residence led to 1425g mj, 1204g mj candy, 130 Xanax, 100 units of LSD, $15700 US currency.
Property Crime Investigation have 95 new cases assigned, 81 cases closed with charges. The “95” are the ones that have some bit of evidence to follow.
Street racing in the Second Precinct has surged, especially along Spring Street between Hoover and Industrial. The Second Precinct has responded by working with businesses, installing concrete barriers in cooperation with City Streets, installing a portable SIC camera and assigning officers to be at the site especially between 11pm and 4am (apparently those are prime racing hours).
The 2017 Summer Crime Strategy is now a document. Contact me offlist if you want an electronic copy.
COURTWATCH, Sarah Becker and Deb Russell reporting:
Kristopher Canty case closed with conviction; Cody Corbin in custody, jury trial must happen before probation violation trial; Jason Enrico 2 hearings on 4/20; Johnny Hall, 2 bench warrants on 2/10 and 2/13 for probation violation; Steven Haney first court appearance 4/24 for two 1st degree drugs sale; Mahad Ismail bench warrant on 3/30 for failure to appear; Jarid Jovanovich in custody, with pretial on 4/10; Curtis Laroque was a passenger in a stolen car but no new charges; Kenneth Nelson was given a conditional release for assessment before 4/20 hearing; Sharkina Nickens is in custody (after being sentenced on one complaint she picked up another complaint); Ryan Pilarski has a probation violation hearing on 4/13; Ashley Sage was found to be taking drugs while she was still in treatment; Michael Zaccardi had a 4/10 hearing for theft and trespassing and a 4/13 arraignment for tampering with vehicles.
No updates: Kevin Foster; Daniel Heacock; Paula Heille; Albert Moen, Dae Nisell; Robert Schroeder.
Candidate for removal: Jason Tucker has successfully completed probation.
NEW BUSINESS: Announcement: May 15 is Open House at the Precinct. 4:00Pm to 7:00pm, free food and beverages, and you can meet officers from the K-9 unit, Mounted Patrol, the Bomb Unit (real robots), SWAT, Animal Care and Control and more.
Meeting adjourned 7:35pm
June 12: The City of Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota offer support and other services to victims of assault. Find out how these services are prepared to help people when they are the most vulnerable.
Remember you can find reports from previous PAC meetings at our home page https://courtwatch2pac.com/
Emilie Quast, board member
MPD Second Precinct PAC
2nd Precinct Advisory Council 