North Minneapolis community, top law enforcement brass meet to search for crime-fighting solutions
MINNEAPOLIS – Cracking down on crime, and putting a stop to shootings. That was the focus in north Minneapolis Wednesday night, where community members and top law enforcement brass got together to try and find some solutions.
Andrew Luger has been busy since moving back into the U.S Attorney's office in March.
"The violent crime wave in Minneapolis, St. Paul, elsewhere is such that we need an all-hands-on-deck approach," Luger said.
He says there's a big reorganization underway to focus his entire staff on stopping violent crime.
"Next year, we're going to be focusing far more heavily on, we already do, but more heavily on the gun tracing and going all the way upstream to who's bringing the guns in, etc.," he said.
It was one of the promises made to community members at the Northside Community Center. Lisa Clemons, founder of A Mother's Love, organized the gathering with the community and law enforcement officials.
"I think once we stop working in silos and start working together, I think you'll see change happening a lot faster," Clemons said.
One strategy Luger says has worked is letting gang members know how severe mandatory federal punishments can be.
"Fentanyl, switch, criminal history background? Thirty years," he said.
But while that may work in the short term, law enforcement officials say they also want to work with community members to discourage what they call a culture of violence for a long-term fix.
"If we can start getting the correct amount of people that can shift the mindset of a person, that they'll think three of four times before they ever touch the gun, so it has to work hand in hand," said Rev. Jerry Mcafee of the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church.
Community activists say they also plan to reach out to newly-elected Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty once she's sworn next month.
