Mpls. Police Team Up With Sheriff's Deputies To Manage Downtown Crowds
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Starting Friday, Minneapolis Police and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) are partnering up to tackle the problematic bar close hours in downtown Minneapolis.
According to Minneapolis Police, deputies will begin working with officers from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. to patrol downtown. Previously, deputies patrolled the area from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. HCSO is also doubling the number of deputies in downtown.
Besides increasing the number of officers and deputies in the area, police in the First Precinct have also made the following adjustments:
- Increased hours for Metro Transit officers on transit platforms and bus stops.
- Hennepin County Probation Officers walking the beat with police.
- Increased monitoring of surveillance cameras throughout the downtown area.
- Officers patrolling on horseback, bicycles, T-3's and 4-wheelers.
- Undercover offices monitoring downtown activity.
- Vigorous enforcement of curfew ordinance and livability crimes, like loitering.
- Positive engagement between officers and citizens.
- And direct communication between police and downtown security guards via the Radio Link system.
