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March 2-PAC Minutes

Posted on March 23, 2016 | Leave a comment

The meeting was called to order at 6:10PM with 15 in attendance.

Our speaker was Sgt. Molly Fischer, who joined the Minneapolis Mounted Police in 2001. She became Sgt. two years ago, and leads the division.

Although there are pictures of Mpls police on horseback that look like they go back 100 years, that unit was disbanded long ago. The current division was established in 1994, briefly disbanded and then re-established in 1996 with four riders and three horses. Since then the team has grown to 12 horses, three full time staff (down one due to retirement). 22 officers are fully certified Mounted Police.

Training the officers: Only sworn MPD officers are interviewed for training They finish a 6 week basic mounted police course and attend a monthly refresher. Special training events are scheduled as needed. Officer Fischer assured us that 5 hours a day in the saddle for new riders is demanding. This is a pass/fail training that takes place at the Zuhrah Shrine Ranch located in Maple Plain, Minnesota, which is where the animals are housed. Only 30-35% of all applicants are experienced with horses.

Common duties include downtown and Dinkytown bar/restaurant closing on Friday and Saturday nights, crowd control at sporting events and other scheduled events, public relations events like National Night Out, parades, and the MPD open house events, disaster call outs like the Northside tornado, and regular patrols in problem areas. Every kind of duty is different and requires different training.

When and why is the mounted police team so effective:

–Horses are large enough to be intimidating. Because of their size and their training, they move crowds without human force. In an escalating situation, horses can separate groups of people whose energy is building and substantially diffuse a situation.

–Horses can work in teams to chase someone who is trying to get away and then hold the person for arrest.

–Horses can make traffic stops and pedestrian stops.

–Horses offer their riders a visual advantage. Riders are literally 10 feet tall and can see what’s going on in a crowd while officers on foot can only see the people immediately around them. For the same reason, and officer on horseback has an advantage when she needs to direct traffic. Later in the meeting, Inspector Waite stated that by her observation, one horse and rider can do the work of as many as 12 officers on foot–they are that effective with crowds.
–Horses are great community relations ambassadors: people who walk away from officers on foot or in a squad, will stay and even come closer. Officer Fischer mentioned that she’s used horses to bring kids into a helpful situation, citing a group of several young teens on skateboards (looking for something to do). She asked them to help the horses get used to the sound of boards on pavement. The youth boarded past and then around the animals to help them become accustomed to the noise (which the horses must do) and the kids felt good about helping the horses. This year the patrol offered an urban trail ride which was very well received and will likely be repeated–horse lovers, watch for it!.

What horses do they want, and how do they get them:

The patrol is looking for geldings and mares, at least 15.3 hands high, with good conformation, calm & friendly to people and to other horses, and with good trailer habits. Sgt. Fischer prefers draft horses and crosses because they are quite happy to stand around all day, which hunters or jumpers wouldn’t like. Right now the animals average about 16.1-16.2 hands (about 5’5″ at the withers–the base of the neck) All horse candidates get a very thorough vet check and are on trial for 60-90 days. (An exception: one horse who couldn’t settle in just got rejected after a 2 year trial.)

Horse training: The challenge is that horses are herd animals whose instinct is to flee danger rather than fighting. What patrol animals are asked to do is absolutely not natural. Horses must be desensitized to urban life: trash blowing, wheelchairs, yelling crowds, skateboards(!), sirens, fireworks, the light rail, loud music and flashing lights, the tazer noise, gunfire (sometimes from the saddle), and working in dark alleys with many moving shadows. Special training: The mounted patrol trains together with the riot control officers, who might otherwise perceive each other as a threat. More special training: they learn to handle urban terrain which can be unstable; special gear includes horse-size teeter-totters. Fun training includes playing soccer with a 5′ diameter ball.

Question: protection from riots: 1) tear gas does not bother horses. 2) Horse riot gear includes clear, hard plastic masks to protect their eyes from thrown rocks and bottles. A picture of the mounted patrol at the St. Paul Republican convention showed that animals in special boots which protect their feet so they could walk over the nails and broken glass that were thrown on the street to stop horse or human movement.

Shifts and time off: The horses work in the city 6-7 times a month, but train at the Maple Plain facility several days every week. They have Sunday and Monday off because they’re wanted in the city most Friday and Saturday nights. A normal shift runs from 6PM to 4 or 5 AM for the human who spends an hour in the barn getting ready, brings the animal into the city, tacks the horse, works the shift, returns the horse to Maple Plain, and cleans the tack at the end of the shift; then she can drive home. The patrol riding season is May through the end of December. January through April is spent on more special training, but it’s also time for horses to just be horses.

Fund raising: The city pays for all things necessary to support the patrol, but fund raisers as by the MP Foundation pays for extras like software upgrades, new saddle pads, and so on.

FFI: links to lots of info and cool pictures: http://www.minneapolismountedpolicefoundation.org/

STATE OF THE PRECINCT: Inspector Waite reported that theft of catalytic converters is again rising. There is no hot spot, but most of these thefts are in Northeast. There is also a scattering of theft from motor vehicles — no hot spots there, either.

Officers are preparing for school vacations: U of MN is out 3/14 – 3/18; Mpls Public Schools are on break from March 28 through April 1. It’s also time to prepare for the U of MN Spring Jam at the end of April.

NO COURT WATCH IN MARCH. It will return in April.

February minutes were approved. Apologies for the agenda printoffs were accepted.

NEW BUSINESS: the Second Precinct open house is May 16, the THIRD Monday of the month. The first signup sheet was sent around. Emilie is will get a list of jobs available, so if you are interested in handing out burgers or baklava, you can sign up for an hour shift early. Set up starts around 2:30 and clean up is ongoing but we start packing away about 8PM. I’ll post a firm timeline when I get one from the people who direct this event.

Coming up:

April PAC will focus on trafficing

May is Open House at the Precinct
Future PAC topics include our award winning MPRB, traffic control and traffic laws enforcement, Minneapolis Regulatory Services, and more……

Emilie note: If you have a traffic law enforcement concern that you can track, please let me know OFFLIST. I’ll pass them along to the officers who will be speaking on traffic issues so they know what our concerns are. Complaints that start with “This morning at 9AM I counted…” are good. Complaints that start with “I think” probably can’t be addressed.

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March 2-PAC: Police on Horseback

Posted on February 19, 2016 | Leave a comment

Please join us for the March 2016 meeting of the MPD Second Precinct PAC on March 14 at 6 PM. We meet at Monroe Village community room, 1900 Central Ave NE. There is plenty of free parking on Central Avenue and on the cross streets nearby, and a bus stop right at the corner. Everyone is invited and welcome.

This month we’ll be hearing from Sgt. Molly Fischer of the MPD Mounted Police

The Mounted Police Unit was created in 1996 with four riders and three horses. It has grown by donation to 12 horses and 23 fully certified riders.

The horses are selected for temperament and conformation. They are trained for a variety of tasks, especially crowd management at planned and unplanned events including parades, sporting events, civil demonstrations, conventions and similar. It’s been said that one mounted officer can do the work of 10 officers on foot. The rider is literally 10 feet tall and everyone can see her. Additionally, the officer can see what’s going on over the heads, over the vehicles and (sometimes) over the fences much better than the officers on foot.. A horse can also move into alleys and other narrow places where a squad car won’t fit.

Horses are exceptionally valuable on search and rescue missions. The horse can carry large amounts of supplies and with his rider, can stay in the field much longer than officers on foot. The rider again can see farther from the horse than can officers on foot.

Finally, there is the social factor. These horses like people and most people like horses. They’re huge, but approachable.

The Mounted Police Foundation has a home page that has a lot of information about this unit. Check http://www.minneapolismountedpolicefoundation.org/
There are some glorious photos on that page, too. Note that they are soliciting donations at all times, including Minnesota’s Give to the Max in November.

Following our guest speaker, we will get a report on the state of the Precinct from Inspector Waite. We’ll then have our current Courtwatch with City Attorney Sarah Becker and our new County Attorney, Deborah Russell.

Please start thinking about the Second Precinct Open House, on the May 9,

Future PAC topics include sex trafficing in Minnesota (What does it look like and what can you do?) , our award winning City Parks department, traffic and traffic tickets, Minneapolis Regulatory Services, and more.

If there is a question you have about services the city provides for your safety and well-being, and it’s not on the list, please bring it to PAC and let us know what you’ve interested in learning.

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February 2-PAC Notes

Posted on February 15, 2016 | Leave a comment

Meeting called to order at 6:10 with 24 in attendance. The minutes were approved.

UMPD Chief Matt Clark presented 2-PAC members with a very special Thank You. The “UMPD Chief’s Distinguished Service Award” is ours for supporting the UMPD as they coordinate with the Second Precinct keeping our University neighbors safe, and for making sure UMPD officers know they are valued members of East Side safety services. Thank you, UMPD!

Our speaker was Nick Juarez, our Crime Prevention Specialist for the Second Precinct, south of Broadway. Nick presented a solid plan for staying safe on the streets.

The Stay Safe plan is summarized in three A’s:
AVOIDANCE, AWARENESS, ASSERTIVENESS.

AVOIDANCE: For someone to rob you on the street, he must have three things: a means, a desire, and an opportunity. You can’t control the first two, but when you take away a robber’s opportunity, you will be safe.

The question then becomes: how do you take away opportunity? Plan to walk with others and phone ahead so folks are looking for you. University visitors, students and staff can use the 24/7 escort service, which extends about a mile off campus in every direction. The service is free to anyone affiliated any way with the U. — that DOES include casual visitors.

dial 612.624.9255 (624-WALK)

Staying on well lit, heavily traveled streets is an old piece of advice, but it still works. It’s on record that many robberies take place between 10 PM and early morning. If you must be on the streets during those hours, take extra precautions.

AWARENESS: This is a big one.

Always be aware of your environment: Stay in the present. We are all bombarded with distractors, many natural, like emotional focus (exams, bills) or a blister on your heel. Many distractors are artificial, especially electronic gear. Alcohol and chemical ingestion can keep you from focusing on your surroundings. Your safety may depend on how well you learn to control your distractions.

Be aware of people walking down the street: focus on their body language, make eye contact and say “Hello.” What are they wearing? How are they holding their hands (open or tense)? Are they hiding themselves, covered up with clothes so you can’t see who they are? What clothes?

Know your environment: Subscribe to MPD and UMPD crime alerts, because crimes tend to happen in a cluster. You can sign up for these at:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/crimealert/police_crimealert_signup
and:
https://docs.google.com/a/umn.edu/forms/d/1YBdtAgc9uDEXVZ2EN8Weml3Kwp4xgXzWseBnIUTc97k/viewform

Another recommended source is the MPD crime maps which you can access at www.raidsonline.com

Remember: It’s dangerous to treat rumors as fact. People listening to police scan radio may think that what they are hearing is fact. It is not. It is a series of reports called in by people who are requesting officers to come and determine what the facts are. You’ll get facts you need to be aware of from officers’ reports at the three sources listed above.

Be aware of yourself: listen to your inner voice and trust it. Know your strengths; know your limits,

ASSERTIVENESS: The first step to taking charge of your personal safety is have a plan you know you can use. You can take classes on self defense, but taking a class is only a first step. After class, practice what you learn until it becomes automatic, because if you decide to fight, you won’t have time to plan your moves. Research other personal safety devices: your voice, items like sprays, screech alarms and even stun guns. But the devices must be in your hand and you must know how to work them. You won’t have time to find them at the bottom of your back pack. Know how to aim them and fire them and make that another automatic response. Your phone is a safety device if it is not what the robber is after. You may not have it when he’s gone.

Nick gave a vivid description on how quickly an attack can happen: mere seconds from start to done. He made several vital points:

1) most of us simply don’t have the training to react.
2) the person who is after your wallet or phone knows what he is doing and is good at doing it. These people are mostly not amateurs–they earn their living this way. They are already on an adrenaline rush, before you are even aware you are a target, and long before your own instincts can kick in.

Finally, know how to be a good witness: stay calm, get yourself to safety, evaluate the situation and call 911 when you get to a phone. When you are reporting, put in as much detail as you can: clothing, height, direction headed, alone or with someone, met by a car or staying on foot. If there is a car, is it light or dark, sedan, SUV or other.

EQ: This was an outstanding presentation. I strongly urge organizations throughout the Second Precinct to call Nick in and have him present to your group, large or small. Nick vividly presented scenarios from the point of view of a victim, a robber, and a cop. Once you understand all sides of this, you will be better prepared to make your personal Triple A plans for safety.

STATE OF THE PRECINCT:

Inspector Waite reported several effective arrests have taken place in the last moth. Some suspects just taken in are believed to be responsible for as many as 20 crimes in the Second. Also, the person who robbed the SE Bank is a suspect is a Brooklyn Park (?) bank robbery.

Inspector Waite made the point that the strong community support the officers in the Second Precinct receive from residents is greatly appreciated. It’s something that doesn’t happen very often. People who work at the Second are trying to get out to more community meetings, just to get to know more people in the community. If you have something going on that the police could attend, let them know. They want to be familiar faces on the Eastside.

COURTWATCH:

Jerome Darkow is set for trial on March 7, looking at a 26 month sentence
Johnny Hall was sentenced last week
Daniel Heacock was found incompetent at his hearing, ordered away from the U of MN, and ordered to reside in a mental health facility

Christopher Perkins is set for trial on March 14. The prosecutor has a strong case and it’s the opinion of our attorneys that he will be facing a judge who is not inclined to give probation.

Bianka Truman agreed to plead guilty to disorderly conduct and will have no further jail time if she has no similar offenses for one year. She was removed from Courtwatch list.

Jason Tucker still has a bench warrant open.

New Business: List of topics for future PAC programs include: the Horse Patrols, Juvenile sex trafficing, Minneapolis Parks, 311 services, Regulatory Services (housing), what traffic officers look for (How to get a traffic ticket), What to do before the EMTs get there, Fire safety.

We may be looking at how Daesh (ISIL, ISIS, Al Shabab) works on naive youth in our city — (EQ: it may be pretty similar to how other “gangs” corrupt our kids.) What are the signs?. FFI See article in the 2.14 Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/inside-a-minneapolis-courtroom-a-peek-into-terror-recruitment/368739421/ and related stories in the paper. Type ISIL or ISIS in the Star Tribune search box.

Meeting concluded at 7:57PM

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February 2-PAC: Don’t be a target on the street

Posted on February 4, 2016 | Leave a comment

Please join us for this month’s Second Precinct PAC. We meet on the second Monday of the month, February 8, at 6 PM. Monroe village Community Room, 1900 Central Ave NE. There is plenty of free parking on Central Avenue and adjacent side streets.

STAY SAFE ON THE STREETS Robberies have been on an uptick in several parts of the Second Precinct. While some of that increase is likely due to increased reporting, part of it, especially around the U, is a real uptick. It’s winter now and cold. Most of us are not strolling down the streets enjoying the view but soon enough the weather will warm up and we’ll be out there. Now is the time to think your way through the strategy you need to keep yourself from looking like an easy target. Nick Juarez, CPS for the south sector of the Second Precinct is our presenter.

State of the Precinct: Inspector Waite will report on new trends and current statistics.

Minutes of January meeting: approve or amend

Treasurer’s report:

Courtwatch: Representatives from the City and County Attorney Offices will present changes in our Watch list.

Old Business: We ran out of time in January, so didn’t recap the December 24 dinner, and we’ll do that quickly.

New Business: Plan the Program for the next year. What do you want to hear about. What topics are already being worked up? Curious about something? Let us know.

Election of officers:

Memo: I apologize that this agenda is very late. I won’t send agenda out until I have confirmations and the people I needed to hear from were out of contact. — EQ

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January minutes: Active shooter presentation

Posted on January 22, 2016 | Leave a comment

The meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM, 32 attenders

Inspector Waite presented the monthly Precinct report.

Statistics for 2015 show Part 1 crime (homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft and arson) is down again this year, a decrease of 3.7%. The Precinct’s Part 1 crimes have dropped each of the last three years. The most significant decrease was in property crimes (burglary, larceny/theft, auto theft and arson). The majority of Second Precinct crime continues to be property crimes. We have a terrific group of sergeants assigned to Second Precinct Property Crimes who are skilled at investigating these types of crime.

Reports of violent crime were up 16% in 2015. Inspector Waite is confident that part of the rise in violent crime can be attributed to successful programs urging people to report crimes that were previously under-reported. This is especially true for the rise in reports of sexual assault thanks to the University Aurora Program on campus which advocates reporting.

Aggravated assault rose in 2015 especially in the NW corner of the precinct. These tend to be assaults by people who know their victims.

Robberies increased this year. They fall into a pattern, rising between 11PM and 4AM, especially on Thursday-Saturday nights. The victims have often been consuming alcohol and may additionally attract attention by focusing on phones as they are walking along a dark street. A phone screen light is very visible from over a block away. Robbers look for the screen lights. Phones are so easily sold that they are almost a form of cash income.

Officers had a significant increase arrests of people who committed violent crime this year. There was a 69% increase in arrests of the most violent of offenders.

PRESENTATION: ACTIVE SHOOTER. Our presenter was Sgt. Donald Jach who is a Supervisor of the Community Engagement Team of the MPD.

Sgt. Jach began by running a video, “Run > Hide > Fight>> Surviving an Active Shooter Event” This video emphasized that if you are caught in an active shooter event, your survival may depend on having a plan you’ve already thought through. The plan endorsed is:

1) Run if you can; encourage others to run but don’t let them slow you down Once you are out, call 911 immediately. Try to stop others from entering the scene.
2) Hide if you can’t get out. Block entry to your area with furniture, whatever you find on hand, turn off the lights, stay out of sight. Call 911 if you can.
3) Fight. Look around and find something you can hit with or throw to incapacitate the shooter.

Be aware that victims are usually chosen at random — if you are not seen, the shooter likely won’t look for you.

Sgt. Jach gave some background information. Between 2000 and 2013, there were about 160 events in total, most after 2006. In Minnesota, we had the Rocori High School, (2 killed 0 wounded), Red Lake (9 killed, 6 wounded), Accent Signage (6 killed and 2 wounded) About 45% of the events were at businesses and 25% at Schools.

Of 160 shooters, only 6 were female. 64% of the shooters committed suicide and another 21% were stopped. Surrender is rare. Shooters often begin by killing someone in their family, and then go on. They may be angry and looking for revenge (after divorce, job loss, etc.), may be mentally ill, or may be acting on ideology. Younger males tend to have issues like depression, and have been previously in trouble with the police. Generally only two things stop them: suicide and police interaction.

If anything positive came out of Columbine, it is that now all officers receive Active-Shooter training and are expected to act immediately. The Columbine death toll was so high because back then, police were trained to secure the building and wait for a police team with special training. Now all officers have the training to go in.

When First Responders arrive, keep calm, stay in place, and show your hands. At this point Officers have no idea who they are looking for, but their aim is to eliminate the threat — to identify the shooters and make them stop. Officers will not stop to help the wounded. Their job is to stop the shooter. Then, the EMTs will come in to assist you.

Sgt. Jach’s best advice: Be aware of your surroundings. Be prepared to react. Always have an exit plan. And always: If you see something, say something.

In answer to some questions: He believes there are now more of these events for several reasons, including more news coverage which lay out steps taken by shooters; others can copy this. He also suggests that violent video games teach violence. What is a “mass shooting”: more than 3 or 4 shot.

You’ll find in-depth history at the FBI website, including this PDF:
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/office-of-partner-engagement/active-shooter-incidents/active-shooter-study-quick-reference-guide

The following is an FBI quick reference site, and includes the video brought by Sgt Jach.
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cirg/active-shooter-and-mass-casualty-incidents/active-shooter-event-quick-reference-guide-04-29-14/view

For other questions or to schedule a presentation geared to your church, business group, or other facility, contact: donald.jach@minneapolismn.gov

COURTWATCH:

Curtis Dean Laroque has 19 arrests since 1995, 16 in the 2nd Precinct. He has a new bench warrant, issued January 5. He has been accused of theft, and is trespassed from the Quarry Target.

Christopher Michael Perkins has 17 arrests since 1995, 12 in the 2nd Precinct. He has been charged with 5th degree drug possession, and just had a hearing on 1/11 (the results hadn’t been reported yet that evening). COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENT REQUEST – will be sent separately.

Shawn Anthony Shelton has been dropped from the watch list

Bianka Kiersten Truman cleared her bench warrant on 1/3 and the attorneys had no further information.

Added to the list: Albert Moen, 18 arrests since 2010. 15 in the Second Pct since 2013. He was found with stolen wire belonging to the railroads. He will be in court on 1/20.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:20, with no time for Old Business, New Business, Election of officers.

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CORRECTION: January 2PAC – Active Shooter: Make your options

Posted on January 3, 2016 | Leave a comment

Please join us for our January PAC meeting, 6 PM, January 11 in the Monroe Village Community Room, 1900 Central Avenue NE. Our topic is:

ACTIVE SHOOTER: MAKE YOUR OPTIONS

Active shooter situations can happen anywhere, and at any time. Because they are so unpredictable, we all need training in what to do and how to do it if an event happens in your place of business, or while you are shopping or attending church or school, on a perfectly ordinary day.

A member of the Minneapolis Police Dept Community Engagement Team will give us a very brief overview of what to keep in mind to save your own life and the lives of others. “Run-Hide-Fight” looks good on paper, but only thinking your way through this will give you the edge you may need to save your own life. Everyone can be prepared to act. Elementary school students in Chicago, Pennsylvania, California, and other places are being trained how many ways they can keep themselves safe or fight back. It’s a long way from “Duck and Cover” or the 1950s.

There are several pamphlets and brochures available on the Dept. of Homeland Security website: http://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness

The presenter will not be giving us a full training session at PAC. Instead, this meeting is a chance for those who have never attended a training session to see what topics are covered. We will have time to ask questions about the topic, and to find out how citizens, business owners, other group leaders can get more and fuller training for their business or social groups.

[Personal note: The University of MN Libraries offers this training annually, and individual departments may request another session for any reason. University Library buildings, like classrooms, stores, schools, churches, and other public places are all vulnerable. Creating a plan with your employees and colleagues may be vital.]

Courtwatch: Updates from our City and County Attorneys.

Old Business: Our First Responders’ Dinner left volunteers very tired and very satisfied. Here’s a hint: we had more people enjoying good food and company than ever.

New Business: Election of 2-PAC Officers

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Active Shooter: Make your options

Posted on January 2, 2016 | Leave a comment

A member of the Minneapolis Police Dept Community Engagement Team will give us a very brief overview of what to keep in mind to save your own life and the lives of others. “Run-Hide-Fight” looks good on paper, but only thinking your way through this will give you the edge you may need to save your own life. There are many reports that elementary school students in Chicago, Pennsylvania, California, and other places are being trained how many ways they can fight back. It’s a long way from “Duck and Cover” or the 1950s

There are several pamphlets and brochures available on the Dept. of Homeland Security website: http://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness

[Personal note: The University of MN Libraries offers this training annually, and individual departments may request another session if they’ve been doing a lot of hiring. University Library buildings, like classrooms, stores, schools, churches, and other public places are all vulnerable. Creating a plan with your employees or colleagues may be vital.]

Old Business: Our First Responders’ Dinner left volunteers very tired and very satisfied. Here’s a hint: we had more people enjoying good food and company than ever.

Courtwatch: Updates from our City and County Attorneys.

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2-PAC December 2015 Minutes

Posted on January 2, 2016 | Leave a comment

Called to order at 6:15. 22 people attending. November minutes were approved.

Our speaker was Pastor Becky Hansen from Elim Church, 685 13th Ave NE, just north of Logan Park.

When Pastor Hansen joined the staff of Elim, she began to notice the number of homeless people who live east of the river. She began interviewing some of them and started to develop a ministry among them. Seven years ago, they came into the church.

Investigating the services available to the homeless on the Eastside of Minneapolis, Pastor Hansen learned that several organizations nearby were offering some of the services that homeless people needed, but no one had coordinated services among the agencies. Too, transportation is an issue when people need multiple services offered by different organizations that are not close to each other. It seemed logical to offer needed services in a single place to better coordinate services and meet needs. In December 2006, Hope Avenue was officially opened.

From the website: “December 2006 that she gathered a group of others from Elim and Hope Avenue was officially born. Every week, we deliver lunches, toiletries, and clothing to the homeless and spend time with them in friendship and prayer. Recently, many of those we met on the streets have been coming to the church for showers and a hot breakfast on Sunday mornings.”

What is the need: Research from the Wilder Foundation reports that consistently over time, there about 4,000 homeless people in Minneapolis, 1400 of them children in families or “unaccompanied youth” living on their own. Wilder reports that 61% of the homeless are people of color, even though they make up only 14% of Minneapolis population. Many of these are in the process of taking stronger charge of their lives, 41% are on the waiting list for subsidized housing and 24% are employed. However, some 79% have major health issues: chronic health needs, mental illness, substance abuse. Any of those is enough to make a difficult situation harder to manage.

There is always a need for more shelter. Hennepin County has only 763 beds in its buildings, 250 short of needs. In January two years ago, the number of people who were totally without shelter was 214. Hennepin County calls Elim and other places for extra beds once the temperature hits -10F.

The Eastside of Minneapolis is not an ideal place for these people because by ordinance, no shelters could be built away from downtown religious institutions. Nevertheless, people come here because our streets and buildings are perceived to be safe. Some 12-15 people in NE are outside 24 hours of the day, just within 1 mile of Elim. Another 15 live in their cars, and there are 10-12 people who spend their nights or cold weather traveling in the buses to have a warm and safe place to be.

The Heading Home, the Hennepin County Office to End Homelessness has more information at its home page http://www.hennepinca.com/

The program at Elim Church, Hope Avenue, has grown since it was first opened. Pastor Hanson made it clear that Hope Ave is a ministry of Elim. It is not a social service agency, but the staff at Hope Ave know a great deal about all the services that are offered here, and can suggest which might best serve a client. For example, Hope Ave. does not offer apartment deposit money, but they know where to send people for it.

Starting in 2013, they began offering a high protein breakfast at 7:15 along with abroad variety of services. Copied from the website:

Breakfast – Breakfast is prepared and served by volunteers.
Shower and Laundry – Showers are available at Elim and volunteers provide clean clothes and laundry services.
Bible Study – Bible study and discipleship groups teach about God’s love for all people.
Worship – All who attend Hope Avenue are encouraged to join the congregation in worship.
Food Distribution – Groceries are available to anyone in need of food assistance.
Clothing Closet – Clothes are available to anyone in need.
Haircuts and Tattoo Removal – Thanks to Lisa and Bill Anderson for making this happen!

Pastor Hanson emphasized that this is a Christian ministry, which seeks spiritual outcomes. On Sunday morning, services are offered from 7:15 on, but the rules are that at 10:30, you either join the congregation in the sanctuary or you must leave. People who wish to leave at 10:30 may come back for grocery distribution and other services at 11:45.

Emergency shelter: As noted, Hennepin calls Hope Ave. when the temperatures are 10 Below, and at that point, they are open. Last year they offered emergency shelter 3 times, once was for 4 nights running. They sheltered 18 people. While the rules usually prohibit admitting anyone who has been drinking, at 10 below they will let people who are drunk shelter there. On shelter nights they work with the Second Precinct so everyone knows where people are. Pastor Hanson found that some people refused shelter when their dogs were not admitted, so at Elim, dogs may come in also.

Another part of Pastor Hanson’s ministry is, that if she knows there is a warrant out on someone and she spots them at Elim, she offers to accompany them to the Second Precinct. Her ministry doesn’t end there, however. She visits them in jail or prison (if it goes that far), keeping in contact as they make their way through the court process. Her view is that the church must work in parallel with the police and courts: ultimately they have goals in common.

Interesting observation about generation differences: Pastor Hanson has noticed that Boomers will contribute work and money to the program, but Millenials expect this program in the church.

For more information, check with the Hope Avenue website: http://elimchurch.com/hope-avenue/

There is more information about Elim Church http://elimchurch.com

COURTWATCH: We received updates on the cases we were watching from City Attorney Sarah Becker. I regret to report I couldn’t hear her, and my other reporter didn’t get back to me. If I missed something vital, it will be reported with the February minutes.

OLD BUSINESS: Our 32nd annual dinner for first responders is approaching. Several people volunteered their time and energy and are greatly appreciated.

ADJOURN: 7:30

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December 24th at the Precinct

Posted on December 10, 2015 | Leave a comment

Dear Northeast and Southeast Community Members,

This is the 32nd year the MPD 2^nd Precinct Advisory Council is having a special event on December 24 for Minneapolis Police Officers and all other Emergency Responders who serve Northeast and Southeast Minneapolis.

Last year we realized that the people who work at the Second on the 25th — especially the ones on the night shift (dog watch) got short changed, so we’re adding items for the end of that shift to even things out.

As always, the planners look for help from the community to make this event an all-Eastside thank-you to the people who keep us safer 365 days a year, including on nights when most of us will be at home with our families.

Every year we have approached neighborhoods and businesses for donations and always been grateful for the generosity of the folks who live and work east of the river.

The commercial restaurants and other commercial kitchens are very generous with donations of food, but it takes more than that to put on this event. Right now, we’re looking for donations of paper products or cash to purchase them. We also need new and unused restaurant take-out containers for the folks who are taking food back to their stations. Not everyone can come in, so attenders take food back to the others.
Can you or your neighborhood organization make a contribution to this fund, or can you offer actual supplies?

Last year so many people who stepped up to help us work in short shifts on the 24th and the 25th indicated they wanted to come back this year. I think we have enough drivers and kitchen helpers on the list right now. If things change, or if you’d be interested in helping another year, please contact me at my email address below, or contact Nick or Susan, your crime prevention specialists. I’ll be very happy to add you to our list, and I’ll send you a confirmation note.

If you find you can help by making a direct donation, please contact Emilie Quast at the email address below.

Thank you for all you do for our community. Happy Holidays to you.

Emilie Quast
2^nd Precinct Advisory Council
12-24-15 Thank You Dinner Coordinator
e-quas@tc.umn.edu
612.378.0224

Your CPS is Susan Webb or Nick Juarez,

Susan.Webb@minneapolismn.gov

nicholas.juarez@minneapolismn.gov

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December 14 2-PAC

Posted on December 8, 2015 | Leave a comment

Please join us on December 14 at 6 PM for a presentation on Elim, a little known private safety net for the homeless, an important service that works for us on the Eastside.

As usual, we will meet at Monroe Village, 1900 Central Ave NE. There is plenty of free parking on Central Avenue and adjacent streets.

In addition to the many public safety services everyone knows about, the Police Dept., Fire Dept., and more, there are both private and public service organizations that provide much needed safety nets to our communities. Come and learn so you’ll know more about people who are in the business of helping neighbors.

One of the private service providers for people who are in crisis or homeless is offered by Elim Church, located just north of Logan Park. This is a safety net we don’t often hear about, but Pastor Becky Hanson will tell us who is likely to need the services offered by Elim and how many ways Elim offers help. Our Chaplain Bruce Pinke also serves through Elim and he promises to be there too.

Our courtwatch list will get an upgrade from our City and County Attorneys’ offices.