Minneapolis police conduct internal review of homicide data following WCCO inquiries
MINNEAPOLIS -- WCCO and CBS News are investigating unsolved murders across the country. On Wednesday, we shared there's roughly a 50-50 chance of having a homicide case cleared. That number is less in Minneapolis. The numbers are at a historic low according to the FBI.
Our questions have the MPD reviewing hundreds of homicide cases. That's after Jennifer Mayerle dug into the data and found discrepancies.
There are three main sites that offer the community a way to look at homicide data in Minneapolis. As Mayerle asked a question about one, it led to questions about the next. Numbers didn't add up.
Minneapolis police admitted the department didn't have confidence in the accuracy of the data the community can see. Now it's taking steps to fix that.
Minneapolis Police committed to an internal review of historical homicide data.
"Here's the guideline, the matrix that we use, to call something closed, cleared," Officer Garrett Parten said.
Why does that matter? Going forward, anytime someone looks for the data, they will find the same information, along with an explanation of how to read it.
"We're going back through every homicide, making sure that the file itself was closed out properly, and closed out according to the standard that's been set," Parten said.
Parten says changing systems and differences in how agencies record data may have played a part in the discrepancies.
The department recognizes behind every homicide and every number, is a victim. Like 3-year-old Terrell Mayes Junior, killed by a stray bullet while running to safety in his home after hearing gunshots outside.
His mom, Marsha has for more than a decade waited for her son's case to be cleared.
"Waiting for justice is like time on this watch. I got the time," Marsha Mayes said.
"Every raise in a clearance rate is a closure to some degree for a family that's grieving and wants answers," Parten said.
"What kind of an undertaking is this to do this internal review?" Mayerle asked.
"It's another duty assigned. But it's necessary and we will commit to working through it. It will take time," Parten said.
Parten said the review will take months, not weeks for the already taxed department. It will start with homicide data, and then the department will see if it needs to take another look at other crime numbers.
Here's the Minneapolis Police Crime Dashboard. This is where you can see information MPD submitted to the FBI. And this is the city's arrest dashboard.
