Tag Archives: mpd

The meeting was called to order at  6:33 PM, 18 attenders: 14 in person and 4 by Zoom.

911/311 updates:  Report on the new Minneapolis 911/311 response protocols.  Joining us were Joni Hodne, Minneapolis Emergency Communications Director, and Deanna Douglas, Operations/Community Engagement Manager.   Leticia Cardenas, Assistant Director, presented:  

 Leticia Cardenas 

OVERVIEW:  The Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center (MECC) handles 911 Answer and Dispatch for the City of Minneapolis. 

MECC is the busiest emergency dispatch center in MN.   The Second Precinct, however, is also served by four other emergency centers: the U of MN PD, MPRB-PD, Metro Transit Police, the State Patrol, and Hennepin County EMS. 

They’re BUSY!     In 2023, the MECC answered 630,779 calls; that’s 1750 calls a day.  

Where are they:  911/311 were located in City Hall, but have moved to a new call center in March.  The new center includes “new” amenities, but the typical call station is one of three configurations:  

• Call Taking Monitor, 
• Channel 7  Monitor  (Channel 7 is a Minneapolis Radio Channel that is used as a resource channel for Minneapolis Police and Park Police.) 
• Dispatch Monitor.

WHAT DO THEY DO?

• Answer 911 calls
• Answer other 10-digit calls (EQ: For example, to request Police, Fire, Medical or BCR response to a non-emergency situation, call 612-348-2345)
• Dispatch Responders to calls for service
• Provide support services to partner agencies
• MPD Shot Spotter and the MPD Bait Vehicle Program – 911 operators monitor, enter calls and dispatches based on Shotspotter and the MPD Bait Vehicle Program.

TRAINING:   People who are selected to work in the 911 office must go through a rigorous training program, outlined, here:

CALL TAKER

• Must take up to 560 hours of COMBINED classroom training and one-on-one coaching  before answering a 911 call without direct supervision
• Must know basic medical terminology
• Must have basic computer skills
• Must be able to provide customer service
• Must have CJIS Certification
  •  Criminal Justice Information Service is a division of the FBI.  It compiles information from local and international communities and analyzes the statistics to provide a common database  of information to agencies around the U.S.
• Must know Minneapolis geography

POLICE DISPATCH 

Must take an additional 440 hours of training and coaching before becoming a Police Dispatcher

FIRE DISPATCH

Must take 128 combined hours of training and coaching before becoming a Fire Dispatcher.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CALL 911:

The first three responses will be:

“This is 911.   What is the address of the emergency?”

“Is the address a business, a house, apartment, or a duplex?”

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

Other things you will be asked:

• Are any weapons involved?
• Describe the vehicles/persons involved.
• Where are the vehicles/persons involved now?
• Does anyone need medical attention?
• How will responders get into the building?

Stay calm.  Try not to panic.   Speak slowly and clearly.

Answer all questions and follow directions.

Don’t hang up until the 911 Call Taker says it’s OK.

If you need  translation help:  

The 911 Call Center uses Language Line Interpretation Service.   This service currently provides translation in 21 languages in Minneapolis  [EQ:  FFI google Languageline.com]

If you can’t phone, text:

While the 911 Call Center prefers you phone them, they also use Text-to-911 because sometimes, a person can’t call, for example, if they are hiding.

HOW TO TEXT 911

• Enter 911 in the “to” field
• Include your location and type of emergency.
• Hit SEND.
• Answer questions and follow instructions.
• Use simple words and NO ABBREVIATIONS!

Things to know:

• Location will not be as accurate on a Text as it can be with a call.
• Be ready to give an address OR describe your location.
• Do not text and drive.
• It is illegal to text 911 with a false report.

Incident Dispatching and Community Engagement

Internal Partners include North Memorial Hospital, Hennepin County EMS, Minneapolis Fire/EMS/Rescue, Minneapolis Park Police, Minneapolis Police Dept., Minneapolis Animal Care and Control, Canopy Roots. 

In addition to the above emergency responders, 911 can connect you with Public Works, Forestry, Emergency Management, and with Xcel or Center Point if the event is related to a Fire Dept. incident event.   NB: Emergency Management is a City of Minneapolis department; it is not part of 911.  [EQ: SEE https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/departments/emergency-management/  ]

It’s important to understand that when someone makes a 911 call, the call may be handled by more than one responder.   The call taker may be able to refer the caller directly to the right office.  If that’s not appropriate, the call for service may go to the MPD or the MFD or the EMS, and any of those offices might notify some OR all of the others. 

KNOW WHEN TO CALL 911 OR 311

Call 911 for the following:

• Call if a Police Officer is needed at the scene: (assaults, gunshots heard/seen, kidnapping, domestic disputes)
• Call if you or someone else needs an Ambulance or a Fire Dept. response.
• Call if you or someone else is having a mental health concern.
• Call to report an animal bite.
• Call to report a crime in progress.
• Call to report suspicious criminal activity that you witness.

Call 311 to make the following police reports:

• Theft reports (bikes, packages, catalytic converters, shoplifting if no one is in custody) BUT NOT AUTO THEFT
• Theft FROM motor vehicle or theft OF motor vehicle parts.
•  Identity Theft.
• Trailer theft.
• Theft of services (taxi, innkeeper, etc) .
• Fraud.
• Credit card fraud.
• Deprivation of parental rights.
• Restraining order violation.
• Damage to property.
• Damage to motor vehicle unless it was attempted auto theft.
• Obscene or harassing phone calls or text messages.
• Loss (or mysterious disappearance) of property.
• Property damage (as hit and run accidents).

THE MPD CALL CENTER

When the public calls 911, operators may enter a call for service to the MPD Call Center because of the nature of the complaint.   This center is staffed by MPD Officers.   An Officer will phone the caller and make an official Police Report.   Everything is done over the phone and no Officer is dispatched to the scene.  911 operators can not write an official Police Report.

An Officer must file a report based on the information they receive from the caller,  even though the MPD will not send an Officer to take information.   Examples are  robbery or burglary if there were no weapons, no injury,  no significant loss, and no evidence.     [EQ: IMPORTANT!  Even though no Officer will be dispatched, CALL ANYWAY:   It’s very important they get these reports to log in.  That’s how they can see “hot spots” for certain kinds of crime, as those hot spots are building.)

The MPD Call Center, using phone interviews, saves Officer travel time.   That means that more Officers are available to respond quickly to dangerous or critical events — priority one incidents.   This is especially important now because of MPD low staffing levels.

The Call Center operates 7AM to 3 PM, M-F.   If a call comes in outside these hours, the caller is advised to phone 612.3483.2345 during the  next business day. 

 The Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR)

The BCR was established in Minneapolis in 2021.   The teams are unarmed, culturally responsive and trauma-informed  mental health care professionals defined by Minnesota  Statute 245.462, subd. 17 7 18.   They provide intervention, counseling, and connections to support services available in Minneapolis.  

The BCR is now available 24/7 and has several offices cutting down travel and response time.  It is managed by Canopy Roots,  a local, black-owned, mental health services organization.   The service is provided free to anyone in Minneapolis.

Responders are dressed in casual blue clothes, with Behavioral Crisis Response or BCR on the back.  The vans display the logos of the City of Minneapolis and Canopy Roots.

With the development of the BCR, Minneapolis now has four emergency response units:  The BCR,  MFD, EMT, and MPD.   Each is trained to handle different situations and may request help from a different unit.   The BCR specializes in mental health emergencies, but, like the EMTs and the MFD, if they encounter serious threats, they will call for back up from the MPD for everyone’s safety.

Questions:

In response to a question, Ms Hodne replied that BCR staff always carry a police radio and are in constant contact with 911 dispatch.    

In answer to another question, she reported that the BCR responded to almost 10,000 calls in 2023.  Of those almost 1700 were in conjunction with the MPD — either the MPD requested the BCR or the BCR requested the MPD.  Additionally, the calls for service are rising.   The 2023 number was about 1500 more than in 2022.   The numbers will continue to grow.

EQ:  When you presented at 2-PAC a few years ago, the structure of 911 was being reshaped.   At that time you talked about having social workers right in your office.   Did that happen?

Hodne:  Currently, we don’t have embedded social workers in the office, but we have other options.   We can transfer a call to 988  and 211.**  Also, we work with BCR and with COPE.   Additionally, Police Depts now have embedded social workers.   We were talking about having embedded social workers too, but with Covid and staffing shortages, that got set aside.   We’re starting to talk about that again and should have more information the NEXT time we meet with you.   [EQ considers that a promise] 

Hodne:  It’s important to remember that if we get a call from someone who is trying to get comfort in a mental health situation, and there are calls still coming in, that could be someone having a heart attack or a life for death situation.  We need to connect the first person with someone whose skills are helping their kind of need.

Hodne went on later to explain that 911 operators are quick to send a second response if the first choice is not available.   For example, if a person is having a crisis and acting in a way that might cause them to injure themselves, the 911 Operator might call for a BCR response, but if BCR doesn’t have a person who can quickly get there, 911 will send in a Police Officer so the person doesn’t harm themselves. 

**[EQ: see 988lifeline.org and 211.org  – 988 is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.   211 is the free United Way helpline for services including “physical and mental health resources, housing, utility, food, employment assistance, crisis interventions, and more.”] 

STATE OF THE PRECINCT

Inspector Torborg:     

We are still severely understaffed.   We’re at about 550 officers right now.   We’re supposed to have 731, per the city charter.

The Inspector discussed the July 4 melee Dinkytown: people throwing fireworks at other people and more.   Fortunately no one was seriously injured.   The Inspector pointed to making a lot of arrests, with the reminder that this takes officers off the street to write out reports.   He commented that the Second Precinct had a lot of help that night from  UMPD and others.   

July 4  was followed by a stabbing on Sunday night and another on Wednesday.  [EQ Two stories in the S’Trib.   of the 30 arrested, 27 are not from Minneapolis.  https://www.startribune.com/july-4th-disturbances-result-in-30-dinkytown-arrests/600378710/   More of the story four days later:  https://www.startribune.com/charges-filed-over-fourth-of-july-fireworks-melee-in-minneapolis/600379389/  ]

Last month, after the Inspector had already left, someone asked for an update on the robbery at a BP Station on University.   Inspector Torborg reported that he had contacted the owners and suggested they work on a plan that will improve the safety of their business.   He commented that  a business, working with the Precinct and city licensing can create a workable plan.  An attender asked if that might bring in a security person.  [yes!]

Second Precinct 28 day crime report from the MPD Crime Dashboard:

NIBRS Crime Metrics-28 days	2024	2023	Prev.3 yrs
Assault offenses	70	108	103
Incl. Domestic.Ag.Asslt.	6	10	10
Burglary, B&E	10	23	35
Vandalism	92	57	59
Homicide, non-neg.	0	0	0
Homicide, negligent	0	0
Larceny theft	156	174	206
MV Theft	77	51	71
Robbery	15	16	17
Incl. car-jacking	1	1	2
Sex Offenses	2	6	6
Stolen Prop. Offenses	2	2	3
Weapons law violations	9	7	9
Shots fired calls	19	22	37
Gun wound victims	0	2	8

Emilie Quast, Member, MPD Second Precinct Advisory Council

Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/vQkq7ZMdLAI