2nd Precinct Advisory Council

The meeting was called to order at 6:07 by Chair Larry Ranallo with 20 attenders.

Our speakers this month were Velma Korbel, Director of the Minneapolis Dept. of Civil Rights, and Kristin Johnson, Investigator in the Complaint Investigations Division of the Dept.  As the City is expanding services to residents, it is also expanding the means residents have to request these services.  Our well known and heavily used 311 contact is now a means of reporting hate crimes and discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and other, and these crimes may be reported by targets or by witnesses.

Ms. Korbel related that the “Hate Crimes Hotline” is an extension of the 311 line service, which was launched with limited services and hours in 2003, but has been expanding ever since. People in Minneapolis dial 311 for direct access while people who are outside the city proper or who can’t  use that line for any reason (TTY callers, for example)  can call 612.673.3000.

While there has always been some level of hate crime in Minneapolis, authorities have noticed an increase starting in Sept and October of 2016 when the political race fueled a lot of talk about building a wall, deporting people, and other divisive issues.   There was a further rise when U.S. borders were closed to some people.  As controversy became more heated, some cities took a stand declaring themselves “inclusive” and separating law enforcement activity from immigration and customs enforcement activity through use of non-cooperation clauses. Cities enforcing non-cooperation between their police forces and immigration officials include Seattle, NYC, Albuquerque, and more.  Minneapolis is part of this movement.

The Civil Rights Department of Minneapolis, the St. Paul Department of Human Rights, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, and the FBI joined forces to coordinate the programs and outreach services offered by each agency.  There was a need for one number to call where reports would be screened to determine what department or service would best meet the immediate concern; 311 was an obvious resource.  311 is also a way for service providers to gather information about hate and bias crimes. Resources were added to the Department’s budget to coordinate the City’s response and handle information regarding hate crimes and discrimination, and to work with community and enforcement partners. Kristin leads this work in the Department.

People needed to know this expanded service exists so one of the first things they developed was a simple poster,  Go to http://www.minneapolismn.gov/civilrights/index.htm and scroll past “HATE CRIMES HOTLINE” to see a printable PDF. Updates to the page making the information more accessible are pending.

QUESTION:  Does hate speech = a hate crime?

Korbel:  No, speech is protected by the First Amendment. There is hateful speech, but no agreed-upon definition.  There is confusion because last year’s political speech often mentioned “hate speech” which put that in people’s minds but the fact is, there is no definition of hate speech.  We welcome discourse of any kind, but while we may not like it, we can’t stop it.

QUESTION: 311 operators, including the supervisor seem confused about hate crimes.

Korbel: If you called the 311 operators, not to report a crime but to ask about hate speech, you need to remember 311 operators are NOT there to explain things, define terms, or to speak directly about a caller’s concerns.  Their job is limited to forwarding calls to the appropriate service center where staff trained in the caller’s issues are waiting to listen to and to evaluate a callers concerns and to begin working with and for the caller.  311’s job begins with receiving your call and ends when the operator has forwarded your call.

QUESTION: There is a question of context.  Speech at work can create an atmosphere that interrupts your ability to work.

Korbel:  Most work places have policies in place that outline what is and isn’t permitted in the work place and how violations will be handled.  Managers should be trained to handle these issues. Issues and events in one place may be handled very differently from a similar situation at a different organization.

Board member Dorothy Bode reminded people that the Minneapolis Public Schools is a separate jurisdiction and has its own hotline.

QUESTION [ASKED AFTER THE MEETING:  SO IF YOU ARE NOT GETTING A SATISFACTORY RESPONSE FROM e.g. YOUR OFFICE HR OR THE SCHOOL’S HOTLINE RESPONSE, ARE YOU BARRED FROM USING THE CITY SERVICE OR ENCOURAGED TO USE IT?]

Johnson:  You may always contact the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights (MDCR), St. Paul Department of Human Rights, or Minnesota Department of Human Rights to report unlawful discrimination, including a hostile working environment. A hostile work environment may be created through the harassment of an individual based on a protected characteristic (as defined in the Mpls Civil Rights Ordinance, Section 139.40(b)) that negatively affects that employee’s performance or job opportunities and is known by and not prevented or corrected by the employer. This is an example of an instance where one individual’s expressions of prejudice toward another individual may be unlawful, when the same exchanges on a public street may constitute protected speech.

Johnson: Minneapolis ordinance bans discrimination based on “race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, including sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance or familial status.”  Property damage, assault, and stalking are crimes per state law, no matter what the motive, but if bias (discrimination)  is determined to have been a motive of a crime, that judgment will give the complaint an enhanced status.  For example, if a person commits an assault, that is a crime.  If, during the assault they call someone a name (based on race, gender, etc.) the sentence for that crime may be increased on that basis.

Data collection so far suggests that many episodes are based on race issues.  Data also suggest that many incidents are under-reported.  Data collection does show context which may figure in later outreach programs.  With regard to most speech questions received to date, one example is that you may still paint a Swastika on your own property, but you may still not paint one on someone else’s property without their permission or on public property.

Johnson: some complaints may be sent to the MN Dept of Human Rights or other agencies, depending on the type of crime and the location.  The Mpls Civil Rights personnel will always look at it first.

The Dept of Civil Rights is developing relationships with other resources to better respond to complaints. It’s a work in progress. Please call Kristin at 612 673 2087 with any questions about the hotline or the implicated laws.

WHAT OFFICES CAN HELP AN INDIVIDUAL FILE A COMPLAINT?

In Minneapolis:  Minneapolis Dept. of Civil Rights, (612) 673-3012.

In St. Paul, St. Paul Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity, (651) 266-8966.

Elsewhere in the state, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, (651) 296-5663.

THANK YOU!

STATE OF THE PRECINCT:   Inspector  Loining reported that violent crime in the 2nd Precinct is down by 7.6% led by Robbery, down 32.47%  from 77 incidents in 2016 to 52 in YTD in 2017.  Criminal Sexual Conduct is up from 29 to 31 incidents in the same period and Aggravated Assault if up from 64 to 75 incidents in the same period.

Burglary is down by 11.29% but  auto theft is up by over 39%.

Current “Hot Crime Issues” in the 2nd Precinct are 1) reducing violent crimes by monitoring reports to determine focus zones for increased patrol, 2) reducing theft from motor vehicles by reminding folks to remove valuables from their cars or at least keep them locked in the trunk, 3) auto theft, alerting owners to the danger of warming up vehicles in the winter and to reduce theft of mopeds by securing light two wheelers with locks and chains, and 4) to reduce burglary of garages by reminding folks to lock their garages.  Officers will leave a hang tag on obviously unsecured garages which offers help and outlines the reasons to lock up.

Successful policing reports including two July 6 search warrants in NE Mpls,which uncovered one marijuana growing operation (one party booked) and a recovery of a shotgun and almost $10,000.   The Property Crimes Unit has been assigned 189 cases for investigation so far in 2017.  Of these, 144 have led to a charge.

The Second Precinct has gained 5 new officers.  All will be on foot beats for the next six months (standard procedure): 2 on East Hennepin and 3 in the Stadium Village area which includes the light rail station.  Other personnel changes:  Sgt. Beth Mota has transferred to the Juvenile Unit.  Sgt. Chris Patino has joined  2nd Pct Property Crimes, and Sgt. Darin Waletzki is now in the 2nd Pct

COURTWATCH:  Sarah Becker, City Atty.  and Judi Cole Hennepin Cty Atty.:  Cody Corbin failed to appear on 7/5 and a bench warrant was issued; he is free on $5000 bond and his next court date is 8/2.  Jason Enrico had an omnibus hearing scheduled on 7/14.  Kevin Foster was convicted on June 5;  a stay of imposition was issued and he is on probation until 6.5.2020.  Steven Haney is facing 2 narcotics cases; he posted a $100,000 bond on March 1; his house will be in foreclosure at the end of July. Daniel Heacock is now out of custody and waiting for a competency hearing.  Paula Heille failed to appear on 5/10 and a bench warrant was issued.  Mahad Ismail is now in prison and has a pretrial on July 19.  Kenneth Nelson has a 9/19/17 hearing coming up, and one complaint against him has a jury trial date.  Sharkina Nickens was convicted of burglaries and is now in prison.  Her other complaints have not been resolved.  Dae  Nisell was convicted on 6/23 for violation of restraining order and was sentenced to the MN Correctional Facility in St. Cloud (18 months stayed 3 years); he is on probation to 6.23.20.  Ryan Pilarski has completed probation on June 13.  Joshua Poplawski has a pretrial on trespass in the 3rd Pct scheduled for 7/12; probation violation hearing  on 7.24.  Ashley Sage seems to be meeting her agreement.  Robert Schroeder has a July 12 pretrial.  Michael Zaccardi has a felony level damage complaint with a 7.21 omnibus hearing.

No updates:Johnny Hall has not yet responded to his February bench warrant.  Curtis Laroq remains on probation to 11/4/18 and there have been no updates.

Removed: Canty, Nickens, Moen, Pilarski

Reminders:  do you want attorneys to attend your National Night Out?  Contact Jean M Heyer (Jean.Heyer@hennepin.us), or go to heep://www.hennepinattorney.org/prevention/community-partnerships/national-night-out

It’s a chance to ask questions you may have been curious about and didn’t know who/how/where to find the answers — plus they’re nice people.

With no New or Old Business, the meeting was adjourned.

The first step toward reducing the incidence of inappropriate sexual events on campus is to define terms.  The U of MN  distinguishes harassment, assault, relationship violence, harm, stalking, and consent.

Harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances that are presented as a condition of employment or academic advancement, or which have the effect of interfering with an individual’s performance,  or which create a hostile or offensive environment in any University event.

Sexual assault is actual, attempted or threatened sexual contact with another person without that person’s consent.  This includes but is not limited to intercourse. Rape is sexual intercourse without  freely given consent.

Relationship violence is causing physical harm, or threats of physical harm that rise in a personal, intimate relationship.

Harm means engaging in conduct that endangers OR threatens to endanger the physical and/or mental health, safety or welfare of another person and includes (but is not limited to) threatening, stalking, harassing, intimidating, or assaulting.

Stalking is behavior directed at a specific person that is unwanted and which would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.  At the U of MN, the focus is on the impact on the targeted person, not  the intent of the doer.

Per U of MN official policy, consent is informed, freely and affirmatively communicated willingness to engage in sexual activity, expressed in clear and unambiguous words or actions.

Prevalence of  assault reported by U of MN enrolled students, not limited to assault while enrolled: in 2015 the Center conducted a Health and Safety self-reporting survey.  34% of students contacted responded to the survey.

1)  24% reported being sexually assaulted.  The breakdown was 11% of all males and 32 % of all females
2) 19% reported domestic violence.  The breakdown was 12% of all males and 23% of all females.

3) Student perpetrators were 11% (again, this is self-reporting)

When the survey limited to reports of assault during enrollment, the picture changes slightly:

1) 6% of males reported post enrollment assault
2) 23% of females reported assault since enrollment
3) 34% of GLBT or gender-non-conforming students reported assault since enrollment.
These reports parallel similar reports from other  universities in percentage of reported assault.  In every category, the numbers were higher for students of color than for others.  BRONTE:  THIS DOES NOT JIBE WITH THE STATEMENT TWO SENTENCES DOWN: “12.8% white”
Additionally, the number of disabled students reporting assault were almost twice the number of students who do not consider themselves disabled, 21% v. 11%

Finally, when the report is sorted by race/ethnicity, another picture emerges, as 7% of reporters were Asian, 11.1% were Pacific Islander, 11;5% were black or African American, 12.8% white, 14.9% Hispanic, but 21.7% were Native American or Alaska Native.

Once a person decides to seek help, Aurora provides immediate and long term assistance on many levels.  There is a 24/7/365 help line staffed by volunteers with staff backup.  Aurora provides crisis counseling, support groups, and a substantial menu of advocacy services, not limited to dealing with academic impact, helping with housing, assisting with medical care, supporting a victim during police interviews, and helping with legal matters like obtaining restraining orders and other legal affairs.

Advocacy is the broadest service.  Advocacy begins with immediate emotional support to sexual assault victims, which is continued as long as necessary.  An advocate’s goals are to help the client avoid re-victimization (insuring fair treatment), to coordinate local  campus and community resources and programs.  The Aurora program is completely free to the client and completely confidential.  Advocates do not make decisions for a client, but carefully lay out options so the client is able to mindfully make his or her own fully informed decisions.

People affiliated with the University have  two first level options, but services may flow from one to the other.

First: Seek Support, don’t report.  Support is available through the Aurora Center (612.626.9111), through Boynton Mental Health Services (which also has a 24-hour crisis line at 612.301.4673) or from student Counseling Services.

Second: Report.  The Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action office is the strongest place to find help for violation of Title IX clauses,  Another place is to get help from the police (Emergency is a 911 call and non-emergency is 612.624.COPS 624.2677)

The meeting was called to order by Emilie Quast at 6:18 PM. 26 attenders.

Inspector Loining introduced three new people who have joined the Second Precinct. Lt. Nelson, Lt. Osland, and Crime Analyst Luther Krueger. Welcome to all!

The top crime issues in the Second Precinct remain robberies and burglaries.

Of the 7 robberies, 2 were robberies of businesses (NE Bank and Two Amigos) The geographic breakdown is 3 in Holland (including 2 of persons), 2 in Windom, and 2 in Marcy Holmes East (Dinkytown to 35W).

The Precinct had 32 burglaries between May 11 and June 11. Of those 28 were burglaries of dwelling and 4 were burglaries of businesses. Marcy Holmes reports the greatest number of burglaries and most of those show no sign of forced entry. This category does include unsecured garages.

Good news: 4 items

1) There was a rise of burglaries of storage units in SE Mpls apartment buildings. A resident reported a burglary in progress, and officers arrested Saul Gonzalez Jr, and Marissa Farber. Since then the number of burglaries has decreased.

2) Audubon Neighborhood had a pattern of burglaries mostly occurring on Fridays, during the day, by back door forced entry. An officer stopped a vehicle and identified a party but didn’t have cause to detain him. This person was later arrested for burglary in another part of the city and number of incidents has decreased.

3) Holland was seeing burglaries by young black males on a yellow moped. Officers stopped a yellow moped and identified a rider who had a history of committing burglaries and admitted he’d done a burglary in North Mpls.

4) A person arrested in St. Paul confessed to some burglaries of businesses in NE Minneapolis. An officer is working with St. Paul PD to make a positive connection.

City Attorney Sarah Becker opened Courtwatch, and explained the Courtwatch procedure to newcomers in the room.

Ronald Bailey, 2nd Degree murder charge, has a jury trial on 8/20. Maxim Chance pleaded guilty on lower charge and is on probation until 4/19. Johnny Hall 9/17 Jury trial for 5th degree narcotics and probation violation hearing.

Richard Breen demanded execution of sentence and was released on 6/15/18 when he had completed his sentence.

Daniel Heacock has significant mental health issues. Because he is unable to participate in his own defense, the court must dismiss misdemeanors and suspend felonies; however, due to a change of procedures, he has been in civil commitment since May 23. Commitment may mean going to a regional treatment center there are “flexible committments”. Mr. Heacock has a very long history with 35 city-wide arrests since 1995, 24 of them in the Second Precinct. We will be hearing more about this welcome “change in procedures” at a future PAC meeting. It’s been clear for a long time that Mr. Heacock has been creating situations in which he is very much in danger. In addition to endangering himself, he is creating more than nuisance damage to others in the Second Precinct.

No updates: Paula Heille is still on bench warrant status, issued in October. Bryan Holmes, no update. Robert Schroeder no update.

Cody Horton failed to appear at his omnibus hearing (cited for firing a handgun out his window and into a neighbor’s house) and a bench warrant was issued. Mahad Ismail is on probation to 7/19. Curtis Laroque remains on probation to 11/18. Joshua Poplawski has multiple open cases hearing on June 19th and July 12 is trespassed from almost everywhere; attorney’s office may need impact statements which will be requested on GovDoc. James Zaccardi was convicted on May 24, is on probation for 3 years. Michael Zaccardi had his jury trial which he didn’t attend, so a bench warrant was issued.

DROPS: We agreed to drop Cody Corbin since he has been discharged from probation. Richard Breen has completed his sentence. Dropping Paula Heille was considered

ADDS:
Dwayne Miles for one count of 5th degree marijuana sale and one count of 5th degree drug possession for a large amount of marijuana.

Rico Gonzalez-Briseno for 1 count of assault (2nd degree) with a dangerous weapon causing substantial bodily harm and 1 count of assault (2nd degree) with a dangerous weapon, on 5-12-18. (Marcy-Holmes)

Alfonso Seals for 1 count of assault (2nd degree) with a dangerous weapon causing substantial bodily harm and 1 count of assault (2nd degree) with a dangerous weapon, on 5-12-18.
(Marcy-Holmes)

Judi Cole explained the division of responsibility between City Attorney and County Attorney’s offices. In larger cities in Minnesota (Mpls., St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, et al.) the City Attorney’s office is responsible for misdemeanor charges through gross misd. which can result into sentencing up to 90 days. The County Attorney’s office handles felony and juvenile offenses. In many outstate areas, the County Attorney’s office handles both.

EQ: Judi offered to supply, and I offered to handle summary sheets on this topic, sentencing guidelines, and on a few other topics that are pertinent to Courtwatch outcomes. None of the topics is terribly complex, but there is too much detail to absorb in one quick meeting with no references.

Questions from attenders: One person wants a map of the precinct. She wants to know how far a crime or crime pattern is from her neighborhood so she has an idea of how much concern she should feel. CPS Rashid will find a map that only outlines the various neighborhoods.

There was no 2-PAC meeting in March

OLD BUSINESS: The December 24 dinner went off smoothly.  Although 2nd Pct staff on duty on the weekend was only 24 Officers and Sergeants, we had a soft count of almost 200 people.  One of our afternoon volunteers wondered how many people couldn’t get in because of short staffing.  Sgt Waletzki made a few phone calls and discovered that the emergency office in the 1st Precinct was one group that had to stay at their computers.  Jesus and Aloida delivered enough food so that everyone there had a good meal.  Good thinking, good  outreach, and a generous spirit made the day a little brighter at the 1st.    A full list of volunteers and donors was printed in The Northeaster, January 10 issue. Thanks to all those who made it happen.

OLD BUSINESS: The December 24 dinner went off smoothly.  Although 2nd Pct staff on duty on the weekend was only 24 Officers and Sergeants, we had a soft count of almost 200 people.  One of our afternoon volunteers wondered how many people couldn’t get in because of short staffing.  Sgt Waletzki made a few phone calls and discovered that the emergency office in the 1st Precinct was one group that had to stay at their computers.  Jesus and Aloida delivered enough food so that everyone there had a good meal.  Good thinking, good  outreach, and a generous spirit made the day a little brighter at the 1st.    A full list of volunteers and donors was printed in The Northeaster, January 10 issue. Thanks to all those who made it happen.

January 2-PAC notes:

4) There will be a wide range of events including family friendly experiences, exclusive parties, official and unofficial events.  We will have worldwide attention and high profile guests.

It’s 2018  and we’re starting the new year welcoming our new Crime Prevention Specialist, Rashid Ali, who will be covering the Second Precinct north of Broadway.  I hope plenty of folks from that sector will join us to welcome him and give him a few friendly faces to look for as he introduces himself in the neighborhoods.

CPS Nick Juarez offered to do a presentation on street safety, which is a good topic to have  fresh in mind as Minneapolis hosts the SuperBowl at the end of the month.

Coincidentally, neighbors in Windom and Audubon Park spotted suspicious people early to mid December;  watching for that is a different kind of street awareness.  If we all know what to report and when to report it, we can generate a record that will give officers something to look for and where and when to look for it.

Finally, if there is time we will hear just a little about SuperBowl preparations in the Second Precinct. This looks like it will be a joint report among Inspector Loining, CPS Juarez, and perhaps another professional.  In any case, it is a timely, complex  topic for us.

Join us on Monday, January 8, at 1900 Central Avenue NE, directly across from the Second Precinct.  We gather at 6 pm with a call to order about 6:10.  It’s warm in there and there is always free parking nearby on Central  and the cross streets.