The meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM, 24 in attendance.
Introductions.  June minutes approved.  Treasurer’s report: $1058.84, accepted.

On July 5, Chief Harteau announced that Inspector Waite will move to the 5th Precinct, and the current Inspector of the 5th will be moving to the Second Precinct.  Inspector Kathy Waite’s last day will be the 23rd and Inspector Todd Loining’s first day in the Second is the 24th of July.

It will be hard to see Inspector Waite leave the Second Precinct.  Several people related  good memories of Kathy’s hard work, efficiency, and thoughtfulness to share with us.  Many of us have good memories of our own.

Fortunately, our new Inspector, Todd Loining, is ready and eager to return to the Second.  He was here as an officer early in his career and already knows some of the byways and throughways east of the river.  As he reconnects with us, Inspector Loining will be focusing on getting officers in the right spots before crime happens.  He expects officers to get out of the squad cars and engage with community members.

SPEAKER: Our speaker this month was Clara Schmit-Gonzalez, who leads the office of Code Compliance and Traffic Control. This office is part of Regulatory Services along with  Housing Inspections, Fire Inspections, and Animal Care & Control.

This department used to be called Traffic Control but their responsibilities have expanded to include livability and nuisance control issues.  While they are responsible for ticketing  non-compliant parked cars, they also are responsible for traffic control at intersections during rush hours and before and after events.  During emergencies, they assist Police,  Fire and other first responders.   They are also responsible to check code compliance of  commercial dumpsters and snow removal procedures.
The staff comprises 32 compliance and traffic control specialists, 2 lead compliance and traffic control specialists, and 6 field supervisors.  The office works 18 hours/day, 7 days a week plus emergency response work.

Ms Schmit-Gonzalez first walked us through a pamphlet, “Know where you can park”, a three-fold brochure which lists the most common violations and a picture of one of those parking posts with multiple “DO NOT” rules.  You can find the brochure here:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/groups/public/@regservices/documents/webcontent/convert_265665.pdf

Why are some rules in red?  How many days do you have to renew your car tags? Dropping a trailer on the street, legal or not?  How close can you park to a hydrant, crosswalk, or stop sign whether it’s marked or not?  There’s plenty more in there.

All city statistics are kept online, and are public records.  Go to http://www.minneapolismn.gov/311/online/311_traffic and in the left side column, click on “Performance Reports”.  The office issues about 220,000 tickets overall/year and responds to more than 16,000 311 service requests.  311 service requests have increased more than 65% since 2010.   Ms Schmit-Gonzalez pulled out Second precinct statistics.

311 Complaint summary  in the 2nd Pct, by neighborhood: total = 1,400.  Top four:  Marcy-Holmes – 248; Prospect Park – 126; Como – 119; Mid-City Industrial – 83.

Of these, there were 536 reports of abandoned vehicles and 857 parking violations.

Ticket Summary in the Second Precinct: Total = 19,828.  Top four: Marcy-Holmes – 9,382 (47.3%); Prospect Park – 2,175 (11%); Nicollet Island-East Bank – 1,762 (8.9%); Como – 802 (4%).

Tickets by type: of the 19,828 tickets issued, 7,010 were for parking overtime; 3,650 were parking in a NO Parking Zone; 2,856 were registration required.

Question:  311 works fewer hours than Traffic Control.  What happens to a call  when 311 is closed?  Answer:  Officers on duty pick up your report while they are in the field, if it is entered electronically with the app or the self-service process. This includes complaints made on the 311 website.

Question: Who gets a handicap parking permit?    Answer:  Any significant mobility limitation qualifies you for that permit.  Ask your doctor for it before you leave the office.  Some are temporary and others have no end date.

State of the Precinct:  Inspector Waite  reported that the rate of offenses is down even though robberies were up by 5.  As previously reported: the most prevalent crimes in the  Second are burglaries and theft from auto.  The Greenline is still bringing them in to SE Mpls.

Second Precinct Court Watch Summary:

Resolved:  Osman Amin sentenced to 90 days in the workhouse, 75 days stayed, probation to 6/15/17.  Anthony Bilges in the workhouse for 20 days, release 7/22/16.  Daniel Heacock will have mental health re-test in August.  Bryan Holmes was sentenced to 90 days in workhouse 69 days stayed, probation to 3/1/17. Albert Moen sentence: 90 days workhouse, 80 days stayed, probation to 5/9/17.  James Zaccarki, Commit to St. Cloud 17 months, stay for three years, probation until 10/23/16, local confinement, 90 days workhouse, 30 days credit.  Michael Zaccardi, commit to St. Cloud 18 months, stayed for 3 years; 102 days at the workhouse, credit 102 days, probation until 10/20/17local if rec

In custody: Jarid Jovanovich, Dae Nisell, Ryan Pilarski, Jason Tucker,
Bench warrant: Curtis Laroque, Michael Weston-Rose,
Nothing happening: Cody Corbin, Jerome Darkow, Johnny Hall.
Removed :  Jesse Alan Houge,James Jemison.

Added :Kevin Foster, Assault 5 on 6/15 at Sentyrz Market, and Assault 5 on 6/22 (threatened to kill a stranger near 650 Spring St. NE)

Added:  Ashley Sage, 2 thefts and 1 felony drug case, both hearings pending.  3 other reports in the last 12 months.

Old business: – none

New Business:  New Brochure for Courtwatch specific for the Second Precint.  Separate announcement coming.

Emilie Quast2-PAC Board member

MPD Second Precinct PAC meetings are always free.  You are welcome and invited to come.

“Also Tuesday [July 5], Fifth Precinct Inspector Todd Loining and Inspector Kathy Waite, who commands the Second Precinct, swapped places,…” from the story at

http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-chief-harteau-announces-another-major-shakeup-of-command-staff/385609511/

The meeting was called to order at 6:08 PM by Peter Radford.  20 people in attendance.

The June meting focused on our award-winning Parks:  Safety and programming keep MPRB winning awards!   Our speakers were MPRB Police Chief Jason Ohotto and the acting Eastside program director  Paul Jaeger.

SAFETY:  Chief Jason Ohotto began by reminding us that the Minneapolis Parks Police  are colleagues with the Minneapolis Police Dept. but are independent of  the MPD.  MPRB Police reports to the Parks Board of Commissioners.

The MPRB Officers are full time, fully trained police officers, who attend the same training at the Police Academy as officers in the MPD and who are sworn in by the city.  MPRB Officers wear the same uniform as the MPD officers. Common training and certification means that MPRB officers, like MPD and UMPD officers respond to emergency calls on the basis of “nearest officer responds”.   MPRB Police Dept. also includes Police Agents, who are fully trained but not sworn in.  They work full time during the summer but part time the rest of the year.  Park Agents  support and supplement officers’ services.  Right now there are 35 sworn officers and just over 20 agents.

The Parks Police work two shifts, 7AM to 4, and 4 to 1AM.  The parks are officially closed from midnight to 6AM.  From 1-7AM, MPD takes any calls for service  in the parks.

The MPRB is responsible for some 200 properties with 50 recreation centers.  The police unit makes sure that all park workers are trained observers, people who have been taught to notice, assess, and report when something “doesn’t seem right.”  Park Police want to develop a relationship with all park staff for mutual support and to ensure the safety of the people who come to the park.  Additionally, while all field staff receives general safety training, recreation program staff has significantly more training.

Chief Ohotto sometimes is asked if his Department is not a duplication of service.  The answer is absolutely not.  The two forces are entwined at many points: In addition to training together at the Academy for the same certification, the departments share needed services for better efficiency and to avoid duplication including 911 dispatch, crime lab services, information sharing necessary for efficient policing.  Additionally, with 200 unique properties to patrol, it’s MPRB officers’ business to know those properties very well.  Unlike well-lit straight, broad streets in most of the city,  MPRB properties are unique.  Having a smaller team learn the terrain well is efficient policing.  Finally, many of the service needs for people who use the parks are quite different from the needs MPD officers find on the street.  It’s better to have a smaller but tightly focused team working the parks.

Question: What are the main issues they face in the parks.  Chief Ohotto pointed  that the “main issue” depends on what park you are looking at.  In some parks you’ll find gang recruitment, illegal business and violence.  In most parks, that is rare.  Some parks, like Loring, Nicollet and Boom Islands, Father Hennepin, are event magnets; other parks draw neighborhood families.  The MPRB  polices 300 to 400 special events each year.  If a scheduled event includes alcohol, MPRB officers must be on hand.    People who are homeless see the parks as safer places to sleep or just pass the time–about 100 people sleep outside in the winter but more in the summer.  They often seek remote sites in the parks.

Question:  Crisis Intervention Training is the newest initiative MPD training.  IS MPRB doing this also?  Answer:  the every MPRB officer will be fully trained by this fall and some have completed training.

Question: Parking meters–what’s the deal?  Answer:  the regional parks have parking meters because many users come from outside our city and do not support regional parks with their tax money.  The neighborhood parks do not have meters, because they are most used by people who live nearby, people  who do pay taxes to support the parks.

PROGRAMMING IN MPRB:  Our Eastside Program director, Paul Jaeger reminded us that program signups commence about 2 months ahead of the programs.  He handed out info sheets for just  two NE parks, which advertised Sanneh Camps offering more than 70 summer camps throughout the metro area, free lunch and dinner programs for people  through age 18,  movies in the park, art camp, science camps, naturalist camps and more, all high quality and all free.  Register at www.minneapolisparks.org  The pools are now open, too [including the totally rebuilt wading pool at Van Cleve.  This is its very first year.]

Program staff are very aware of security and safety for the families who use the parks.  It is staff responsibility to care for the kids who sign up but they are also aware of the kids who just show up.  Some kids are come to the park without signup and with no parental guidance.  For safety reasons, MPRB has no drop-in programs.  Staff will watch for the unsupervised kids, but if something seems wrong, they’ll act on it, perhaps by conversing with the parents, or by going further.  Staff security rules indicate that no staff leaves until all the youth and children have left the park.

Finally, Mr. Jaeger was pleased to announce that MPRB is up to speed on pickleball.  He then found he had to explain to us that pickleball is a mashup of tennis, badminton and ping-pong and is really getting popular.  [EQ: I found an online explanation at  http://www.usapa.org/what-is-pickleball/   Now you know too!]

SECOND PRECINCT REPORTS:  Sgt Mota, State of the Precinct:  While robberies and other crime are down in the Second Precinct, the same problems persist: namely theft from motor vehicle and  robberies in the NE part of the precinct.

Sgt. Mota was very happy to report that the May Open House went very smoothly.  This year we had three dogs including one UMPD dog attending.  Sgt Mota also reported that we’re the only Precinct that has free popcorn, thanks to the wonderful lady from P & P Popcorn, who comes with her popcorn stand in her trailer every year.  131 kids entered the 6 bike giveaways.  As always, our local merchants supported the event very generously.   Planning went better, also: 720 pieces of meat were ordered and there were only 20 hamburgers left over, and almost all the 500 ears of corn were gone. Attendance approached 600 People.

CPS Susan Webb reminded people that the NE Parade is on the 21st [too late], National Night Out is the First Tuesday of August with free registration through July 15 — register your event and you’ll get MOA ride passes and more good things to hand out, and your event will get stops  by your local officers.  Central Avenue Open Street is August 7.

COURTWATCH: Sarah Becker announced that some low level offenders will no longer have supervised probation;  fewer offenders will have access to treatment programs for chemical dependency or anger management.  These programs are funded at the county level.

Osman Amin has chemical dependency issues and may qualify for supervised probation (he is a new add from April).
Anthony Bilges remains in jail waiting for his evaluation.  Jerome Darkow and Jarid Jovanovich are in custody in Anoka County. Curtis Laroque didn’t show up for his jury trial.  Albert Moen was convicted in May, 90 days/80 stayed, 1 year probation. Ryan Pilarski has a new warrant but is not in custody.  Michael Weston-Rose  has a bench warrant.
No updates on Johnny Hall, Bryan Holmes, Jesse Houge, James Jemison, Jordan Sullivan, Jason Tucker, James Zaccrdi.  Daniel Heacock, no updates until August.

Michael Zaccardi and Raymond McParland were removed from the watch list

Two people were added to the list:  Dae Misel randomly assaulted someone in Audubon Park.  He has 11 citywide arrests since 2011 including 4 in the Second Precinct (shoplifting, assault, restraining order violations)
Cody Corbin was arrested for felony possession of meth and damage to property at 1619  Lincoln St. NE.  He has 6 citywide arrests since 2010, including 5 in the Second Precinct since 2015

No old business

New Business: Graffiti-like stickers are appearing around Broadway and Central.  Call 311 and request removal.  You can also use e-mail http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/311/online/index.htm.

What is a Citizen’s Arrest:  When an officer has not witnessed an event, he may request a citizen to fill out a witness form requesting arrest so the officer can take the person into custody.

Adjourn: 7:33PM

Future PAC programs  –  Traffic woes (tickets, complaints, and what to do about all that).  311: how does that work?  New issues in Regulatory Services.  Fire safety.   Medical emergencies: what to do before the EMTs get there.

Do you have a question about safety services in Minneapolis? let us know and we’ll find someone to talk to us about your concerns

June 13, 6PM, 1900 Central Ave NE for 2PAC

The Open House is 4PM to 7PM

My error to forget that.

Drawing for 6 kids bikes!

MPD Second Precinct PAC

April  11, 2016

Start: 6:10 PM, 25 attenders.

Minutes:  Approved.   Treasurer’s report: $1058.84

State of the Precinct: Inspector Waite

There is no outstanding pattern of burglaries in the Second Precinct.  The robberies are spread out throughout the precinct.  There has been a pattern of Spanish speaking community members being the victims, similar to the pattern in South Minneapolis.  Inspector Waite believes they may be targeted because suspects believe these community members carry a lot of cash, may have difficulty calling 911 or may be reluctant to contact the police.  Victims seem to be targeted and followed when they get off the bus, heading home after work.  These robberies are occurring during various times of the day.  Because reporting crime leads to increased squad surveillance, reporting is critical for preventing this crime.  Officers have been visiting businesses in the Spanish-speaking neighborhoods, doing outreach.

Another example of the importance of calling 911 when something seems unusual: a person with Alzheimer’s wandered recently, but was found (outside the search area) because of a call from a resident who spotted the victim.  Without the call, the victim would likely have wandered much further, and not been found as quickly.

Sex Trafficking: Sgt. Grant Snyder

Our April speaker was Sergeant Grant Snyder of the MPD Criminal Investigation Division.  Sgt. Snyder has 16 years’ experience in the human trafficking unit of the MPD, and is the  lead investigator for the division.  Since 2011 his focus has been juvenile sexual exploitation.

Sgt. Snyder emphasized that juvenile victims of sex abuse are handled with a wide range of social services.  Most are fleeing from a “home” situation they feel  is worse than the unknown of life on their own.  They have no idea of how to support themselves.  Few trust police or other officials.  Above all, they are children.

Investigators must know several things about dealing with these victims:  1) Investigators are likely to only have one interview; 2) Investigators must always believe  the (12-18 year-old) victim is a victim, no matter how sophisticated she appears; she simply does NOT have the life experience to make a decision to start this life; 3) The victims will not play a role in sentencing and won’t have to face their abusers in court–the officer has to get it all in that one interview.  For that and other reasons, the investigator tries to make the victim’s experiences only a small part of the prosecution’s case.

The pertinent Minnesota statutes 609.322; Solicitation, inducement, and promotion of prostitution; sex trafficking and 609.324: Patrons; Prostitutes; Housing individuals engaged in Prostitution; penalties.  (Google: “MN statute 609.322”   and “MN statute 609.324″ without the quotation marks)  One thing he wants changed:  609.324 shows a sliding scale of punishment from 20 years and $40,000 (child under 13) down to much less if the victim is under 18, while buying sex with an adult gets a slap on the wrist. Sgt. Snyder  will be testifying to make the penalties equal across the board, including for people who buy adult sex.

How do we recognize them?  If you know what to look for, you will spot them.  Pimps can pick them out on the street.  One pimp said,  “It’s the one who feels ugly and isn’t part of the group, who won’t meet your eye.  You can see them.”

The pimp may offer a meal, a place to sleep.  He may act the role of big brother, friend, helper, boyfriend.  He will make sex a way to survive, a payment for the food and shelter, and a way  for the victim to make more money.

Sgt. Snyder commented that media portrayals are over the top, but still don’t represent the bulk of what’s out there.  Some pimps have such a strong hold that their victims won’t walk away from a motel room even if the pimp is two cities away.  Snyder has seen victims who actually have barcode tattoos or GPS chips under their skin for tracking purposes by the pimp/”Owner”.

To get more insight on how children are preyed on, Snyder suggested the book: Walking Prey – Holly Austin Smith (tiny url: http://tinyurl.com/jtcuvx4)   or just search the title on Amazon.com  Another place for information is sharedhope.org (4 out of 4 stars rating) which produced the UTube video “Do You Know Lacey?” to teach about sex trafficking of minors: why it happens, and what we can do to stop it.

Sgt. Snyder affirmed that the “demand side” is the more vulnerable side of the sex trade.  He sees a trajectory from porn to sex work, for victims and for buyers, since porn desensitizes both.  The buyers may have had additional  desensitizing in strip clubs.   Many of the buyers are middle class men with  good incomes and a comfortable life; that demographic is the same for people who buy either child or adult sex.  To March 31, there have been 80 buyer arrests by the MPD.

This points up the fact that trafficking is a money-motivated enterprise.  The pimps are businessmen who have found a system that works and makes money for them. Like other businessmen, they work to improve their methods, to increase their stock in trade, and to attract customers.

Trafficking cases are unique in police work.  Just one recent case yielded some 70,000 pages of documentation.  The work is involves multiple disciplines, technical proficiency and unusual levels of collaboration among local police, the FBI and Homeland Security.

Helping victims is complicated because the victims are complicated: probably uncooperative, distrusting, a challenge to work with, difficult to like, and in need a variety of social services.  This shell is something they developed in order to protect themselves, to survive.   It’s important to always remember that trafficking is caused by vulnerability.  We can’t “arrest” them out of the situation.

Despite public complaints, the majority of trafficking still comes from BackPage, which is where traffickers may attract their victims.  “Catfishing”, posting false information to influence people, is a prime tool.   A catfisher may post an ad asking for company, offering friendship, anything that works.   Facebook plays a role as well, since teens post too much information about themselves, tracking fights with parents, trouble at school, and other worries.  A pimp may pose as a sympathetic friend or potential boyfriend.  Sgt. Snyder tracked one exchange over several months that led to an exchange of suggestive photos, but the photo the victim sent was then used to blackmail her into coming to a motel room where four men raped the girl and filmed it–for better blackmail.

One man used nine fake identities to get girls–Snyder discovered that the “friends” introduced each other but never talked to each other. Technical forensics revealed that all the codes led back to the same man.

MPD receives as many as 12 referrals in a week, but there are only two investigators in the Dept.  Sgt. Snyder can handle  about 35 a year.  Most cases have an average of  6 victims, but some have many more.  He points out again that the cases are very complicated, require many levels of proficiency, and start with long hours with the first victim.  It may take 2 or 3 hours of talking before he feels he’s created a level of trust with one victim, and only then can he open the topic of the crimes.

Courtwatch: We voted to remove Ryan Joseph Orning who seems to be meeting his probation rules, and to remove Christopher Michael Perkins, who received a sentence of 74 months in prison.

We added Osman Amin (case 13-31460) who was arrested for drinking beer at a bus stop.  He has had 18 citywide arrests since 2013 including 3 in the 2nd PCT  since 2014.  Almost all have been alcohol related.

New Business:  – May 16 is Open House , that’s  the THIRD Monday of May.  Hours are 4-7PM plus clean up.  If you’ve contacted me, I’ve already sent your name to Sgt. Mota, but every public  event needs help picking up, during and after.  Inspector Waite insists that this year it will NOT rain!

Speakers upcoming:   June: Parks Policing; July: Traffic control (i.e. how to get a ticket); August: 311; Sept.: Regulatory Services; October: Fire safety; November: What to do before the EMTs arrive.  Some time in the future, we’ll look into how to recognize at-risk youth in danger of being drawn into ISIS and similar groups.

Next 2PAC meeting: June 13^th at 6 pm.

Adjourn: 7:40 pm

Please join us on April 11 at 6PM for the monthly information meeting of 2-PAC, the MPD Second Precinct PAC.  We meet in the Monroe Village Community Room, 1900 Central Ave. NE, directly across from the Second Precinct.  There is always plenty of free parking on Central and on adjacent streets.

Our speaker on April 11 is Sergeant Grant Snyder of the MPD Criminal Investigation Division.  Sgt. Snyder has 16 years’ experience in the human trafficking and sex trafficking unit of the MPD, and is the lead investigator for the division.  He focuses on juvenile sexual exploitation.

The MPD has a broad approach for working with juvenile sex trafficking cases.  “Cross-Disciplinary Case Management” involves representatives working across jurisdictions, drawing help and insight from professional staff in Law Enforcement, Prosecution, Specialized Advocates, Social Workers, Child Protection, Probation, the public schools, and more.  The purpose is to find the best framework to meet an individual victim’s needs, and simultaneously to work on every level to protect the public safety, and to investigate and prosecute human traffickers.

Sgt. Snyder’s pivotal role was illuminated in “Saving Bobbi”, the serial report in the Star Tribune:

http://www.startribune.com/part-3-saving-bobbi-one-cop-s-determination/230855431/

His focus was also discussed in the KARE-11 story (check the last section):

http://legacy.kare11.com/story/news/crime/2015/04/10/police-look-to-step-up-battle-against-sex-traffickers/25559379/

As is true with all law enforcement issues, the first line of action is the public, neighbors, people who see “something” that just doesn’t look right. Sgt. Snyder will point up some signals and signs that we all should know.

2-PAC Board member