Minneapolis' Black religious, community leaders urging parents to seek help with them to save wayward kids
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police arrested six children on Tuesday, all under the age of 15, after a chase and crashes involving stolen cars.
Police say the children jumped out of a stolen vehicle after it crashed on Interstate 94. Officers arrested three boys and two girls. One of the girls is in the hospital but is expected to be OK.
Police Chief Brian O'Hara says it's part of a vicious cycle the system isn't able to deal with.
"It almost seems like this activity is being done for fun and it does feel at times the kids are beating us at our own game here, that we have not been able to get in front of this sufficiently," O'Hara said.
Police were responding to reports of robberies involving a gun. All of the stolen cars are KIAs. Police found a third one abandoned later on Tuesday.
Members of the community are working together to address the problem.
For 34 years, Rev. Jerry McAfee and New Salem Missionary Baptist Church have been on the front lines of helping community help itself.
"Never stop reaching, and that's our motto. We never stop reaching," McAfee said.
Another recent incident caught on video — involving a 10-year-old boy behind the wheel of a stolen car, driving dangerously close to kids on a playground — has shaken police and community to its core.
"This is a case, as there are others, where parents need help," O'Hara said. "It's not an issue of parents being neglectful."
So McAfee is asking parents to give him a call if they need help with their children.
"In order to help that child, you got to find out where the breakdowns are at and how we fix it," McAfee said. "It's the community and the police working together for the benefit of that child."
That's why he is calling for all hands on deck.
"I know what it's like to have your kid out there, you don't know where they're at and they off into something that you certainly did not teach or preach, that they just fell into it for whatever reason," he said. "But if you just sit at home, I'm saying let's get up and go get them."
McAfee, Salem Inc., 21 Days of Peace and A Mother's Love are all groups willing to walk with parents struggling with their children.
"I think one of the things that is missing in our community is that most people don't know about the resources most churches have, and churches are willing to help," McAfee said.
Some parents are reaching out.
"I've had two people in the last two months whose kids are part of these Kia boys and Honda girls, and they've been crying out for help," said Monique Flowers with A Mother's Love.
Their cries have become louder after two violent weekends at the same intersection in downtown Minneapolis. A 16-year-old girl was run over and killed and two men — ages 20 and 21 — were gunned down.
"The community organizations are trying to be a friendly face versus the police," Flowers said. "When the police go and contact with them, they let us know. We go and try to talk to them, 'Hey, we can walk you to the bus stop, just get on the bus versus going to the curfew center.'"
Since this collaboration, there have been no shootings and no deaths downtown in the past three weeks. It's a streak McAfee hopes to continue.
"Y'all come on, let's do this together. You don't have to do it by yourself. We'll walk it with you," McAfee said.
Stairstep Foundation has a booklet with every African American church in the area willing to help parents. If you need immediate help with your child, you can call New Salem Missionary Baptist Church.
