Uptown neighborhood group looks to give police access to home security cameras to expedite crime investigations

MINNEAPOLIS -- Some people living in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood want to partner with the city to make their neighborhood safer.

"I now routinely when I wake up each morning check my security footage," said Dave Whorton.

It's a pattern Whorton has fallen into, after reviewing his security camera footage and witnessing a robbery.

"Two people walking home down 27th street where there were three men that approached them, kind of accosted them, ran up on them, took them at gunpoint down the alley. You know that was a moment where I just said we got to have help," Whorton said.

Whorton says he and his neighbors are also dealing with auto thefts, shots fired and unsheltered people squatting illegally in houses for sale on their block.

"A shotgun fired six times in the middle of the night. I started then sharing any crime that I saw not in an effort to scare my neighbors but in an effort to help keep them safe," said Whorton.

His crime alerts were also shared with city officials, requesting a public safety plan and hoping to be part of the solution.

"We just want to know what the plan is and how we can be a part. Inspector Katie Blackwell from the Fifth precinct has been supportive," Whorton said.

He knows there is a shortage of police officers so his Uptown neighborhood is being proactive.

"We are going to walk up and down the alleys, we're going to walk down the streets with representatives from the police department to make sure that we're safe. We're going to find deficiencies where lighting is not there, "Whorton said.

Making security cameras available to Minneapolis police is another way Whorton and his neighbors hope to partner with public safety.

"If you have security cameras on your home you can register those with the city it's a real quick two minute process, but that really helps expedite investigations. Police know where they can get footage if there are crimes," Whorton said.

Whorton and his neighbors are looking for a response to know what they can do to stop the surge of violence. He says the mayor's office did reach out, saying new efforts underway like Operation Endeavor are already making an impact on crime.

The latest budget proposal includes money for more officers, including four classes of new recruits.