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03/07/2005: "The city reacts to two murders in Minneapolis"

The tragedy of two murders in Minneapolis have brought up in all of us urban dwellers, the fear of another long hot summer of violence. Those of us the live here know all too well what that means. We will have to keep our children closer to home, struggle hard to find the line between reasonable fear and paralyzing paranoia, and engage in lots of conversations about what to do about it.

This being an election year for city officials, we have already heard the political reaction. Is there a city council candidate, a mayoral hopeful, or even a school or park board wannabe, who has not put safety on their stock speech. The problem I have is with their old and tired and for the most part, ineffective, solutions. Yes, I am no exception, I am going to tell you the truth about what works, and what doesn’t work.

DOESN’T WORK

Raise the punishments on crime. Every time I hear a politician or a radio talk show host talk about how the problem is lenient judges, low sentences, or liberal parole boards, I just want to scream, What is the color of the sky in your world?!!! The evidence that punishment does not deter crime is so conclusive – wait we can just look at home. The US enacted “determinate sentencing” over a decade ago. During this time we have seen judges bemoan the fact that they do not have enough discression, and we have seen our jails fill, we have built new ones, have seen them fill, have built more, and have seen them fill up. What longer sentences have given us is more young people in jail. The US has a larger percentage of its population in jail than any other industrialized country. When are we going to learn, PUNISHMENT DOES NOT DETER CRIME. In fact, I have heard strong arguments, that we are turning recreational drug users into lifelong criminals. In other words we are making the situation worse.

ALSO DOESN’T WORK

More Cops. There are lots of reasons to have cops, to respond to burglaries, to investigate crime, to enforce laws, to help with crowd control, and to give directions to lost citizens. One thing cops to not do is prevent crime. No less authority than former Minneapolis Police Chief Tony Bouza, has made it clear, police are called in after a crime has been committed, they have very little role in preventing crime. I know this is counter intuitive, and perhaps having a cop next to you when you are walking in the park might make to feel safer (although it doesn’t for me and most of my friends). The number of police officers it would take to have one present everywhere a potential crime might be committed is astronomical. Even those societies that are recognized as “police states” have murder, burglary, and other crimes. Hiring more police will not deter crime. The next time you hear a politician promise to hire more cops in order to make you feel safer, don’t vote for him (or her).

SOMETIMES HELPS

Community Crime prevention – block clubs, SAFE type organizing. We have seen enough of this in our city to know that it can help. When does it help? Well it seems to help to the extent that it is grass roots controlled not police controlled. Neighbors knowing and working with neighbors reduces isolation which decreases the level of tension and violence in the community. This also does seem to decrease the incidence of crimes like prostitution, crack houses, loud parties. There is very little evidence that it helps with murder. There is some evidence that home burglaries might be discouraged, but some people dispute even that. Also some people claim, quite convincingly, that all these efforts do is move the prostitutes, crack houses, etc. to another neighborhood that is less organized. Of course, that is simply an argument to organize your neighborhood.

ALWAYS HELPS

Provide alternatives to crime. This means decrease poverty, increase employment opportunities for adults and young people. Provide lots of youth workers, sports, volunteer projects and educational venues for young people. People who trust their society and have optimism about their future do not murder.

MY OWN CRAZY IDEAS

I have a couple of my own left field convictions.

1. Let everyone do an extracurricular activity in school, regardless of their GPA.
One of the worse things the school district ever did was to kick students out of sports if they have less than a “C” average. (I was the only vote against it on the school board). We know people who pull themselves out of difficulty have universally pointed to a strong adult role model who helped them. So if we see a student in trouble what do we do? We take away their coach, and one of the things most likely to help them. Stupid, reckless and criminal.

2. Clean up the Heavy metal poisoning in the city housing and environment.
Yea, this is a crazy idea, but hear me out. The level of low and medium lead and mercury poisoning in our city is very high. People without health insurance are usually not treated unless they have high level poisoning, but listen to the symptoms of low level poisoning. Inability to concentrate, reduction of problem solving abilities, increased level of hostility and violence, lack of impulse control. I have contended for a while that you add low level poisoning to adolescence and poverty and you have come a ways towards identifying part of our youth crime problem. The sources of poisoning include the way we do street work, garbage incineration, old paint on houses, gardening in places with soil that was near roads and freeways when there was more lead in gasoline.


Lets all help each other keep our cool this summer. I have lost enough loved ones.