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Thank you for expressing interest in the Minneapolis Police Department's Fifth Precinct, located in Southwest Minneapolis.
We have a vibrant community with a lot to offer visitors and residents. This quarterly newsletter is our chance to give you more in depth information on our community and our section of the Police Department.
Please encourage anyone you know who may be interested to subscribe as well. It's very easy! Click the buttons below. |
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or text SPOTLIGHT to 22828 |
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Inspector's Insights
Introduction with Inspector Todd Loining | |
Hello everyone! I am happy to say that the entire MPD 5th Precinct Team is focused, motivated, and determined to fight crime. We take pride in providing timely, fair, and professional police service to all the citizens that we serve.
We greatly value and appreciate our community partners. Collaborations help strengthen both the community as well as our working relationships. Some of the collaborations we do through the Fifth Precinct include connecting with social service partners, schools, specialty providers, and spiritual advisors of various denominations, to get information out to the greater community we don't reach on a daily basis through the police department. We will continue to work hard to gain or retain your support and trust, and increase our community contacts.
One of the most effective methods to accomplish this has been for us to get out of our squads for business checks and foot beats. This provides us with a fantastic opportunity to meet the community members and the business leaders.
Additionally, we conduct "Closing Time" details where the district officers stop at random businesses within their districts at closing time. This way, we can provide our presence at closing time and it allows us to be in the area walking through parking lots and alleyways.
Your partnership is invaluable in our resolve to fight crime together. If you are not involved in your local block club, we encourage you to get involved. Consider becoming a block club leader. Please keep an eye on your neighborhood and if you see something suspicious, call 911. We will respond as timely as we can. When you are away from home, please secure your homes and garages. Ensure that your exterior lighting around your home and garage is adequate as this can help deter crime. Consider installing pins on your ground level windows; it is easy to install and will help to reduce the opportunity for an unwanted person to gain entrance into your home.
I want to conclude by reminding everyone to get involved with their communities and know that we are always here for you. We are committed to working hard to keep everyone--our residents, visitors, owners and workers--safe in our precinct.
Sincerely,
Inspector Todd Loining
Fifth Precinct Minneapolis Police Department |
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Open House, May 13, 5-7 pm
Join us for a fun, free time at 5th Precinct, 3101 Nicollet! | |
Join us at our annual Fifth Precinct Open House for free food, music, and visits with specialty units. Want to see a K9 dog or the horses from Mounted Patrol? Have you ever been curious about how the bomb robots work? Do you want to talk to SWAT Negotiators, or see a fire truck up close? How about listening to orchestral music played by the MPD Police Band?
All of this and more will be at the Fifth Precinct Open House.
Fifth Precinct Open House
Wednesday, May 13th, 2015
5-7 pm
3101 Nicollet Ave South
Invite your neighbors, your family, your friends-- all are welcome. Please see the same date/time written below in Somali, Spanish and Hmong.
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Community Awareness Training
Learn to recognize suspicious behavior for terrorism, etc
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WHEN: Tuesday May 5, 2015
6:30-8:30 pm
WHERE: Fifth Precinct, 3101 Nicollet Av S
Community Room (all glass room facing 31st St)
HOW: Free visitor parking lot at southwest corner of 31st St E and 1st Av S (1st is a northbound one-way; access on 32nd St or South)
Bike racks available outside
On major bus routes
WHAT:
The Community Awareness Program is a new program MPD is doing in conjunction with the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) from Colorado. This is an interactive class, the goal of which is to equip citizens to recognize suspicious behaviors to help recognize and prevent criminal activity and terrorism, while preserving civil liberties protected by the US Constitution. (By "interactive" it means that there will be some group discussions but don't worry if you are shy; this isn't something where everyone is forced up in front.)
This is free and will be presented by Minneapolis Police personnel.
Please note that one of the most important things that will be discussed in the class is that this is about suspicious behavior, and the decision of whether someone is suspicious should not be based on aspects such as the way they look, dress, their beliefs, and so on. This is simply about learning how to pay more attention to your surroundings, and knowing when not to dismiss something that stands out to your instincts.
You can read a little about the program here: http://www.thecell.org/cap/ |
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What To Do If You're Stopped
Important tips to remember if you are pulled over by an officer
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Patrick Reuben, a Fifth Precinct Officer who has worked with the Minneapolis Police Department for 17 years, 8 years of which were in the Traffic Unit, compiled the below information to help you if you are ever driving and are pulled over by an officer. Many people don't know how to respond in such a situation, and don't realize that their automatic reactions may be seen as a safety concern for officers.
For example, your first instinct might be to reach for your insurance card in the glove box as the officer is approaching, so that you will have it in hand when he or she arrives. However, from the officer's perspective, they see you suddenly leaning over into the passenger seat where you may be retrieving a gun or other weapon.
Please read below for Officer Reuben's tips, based on his experience as a traffic officer.
Why am I being stopped?
- You may be stopped for an equipment violation or traffic infraction
- Your vehicle may match, or is similar to, one that was involved in a crime
What do I do?
- When you see red lights and/or hear a siren behind you pull over to the right side of the street.
- For much of the traffic stop, you can think of it this way: Practice the Golden Rule -- treat the officer the way you would want to be treated. Remain calm, courteous and respectful.
- Roll down your window and then keep your hands in plain view (preferably on the steering wheel).
- Look forward and keep your head and hands in the vehicle. If you have music playing, turn it off.
- The officer will meet you at your vehicle so don't leave your vehicle unless otherwise instructed by the officer.
- Do not make any sudden movements or reach for your driver's license or insurance card. Wait for the officer to instruct you.
- Let the officer know if you have a weapon in the vehicle and if you have a legal permit to carry.
- If the documents are out of reach (glove box, center console) let the officer know where they are located and then retrieve them.
- If passengers are in your vehicle, ask them to be quiet, courteous and cooperative. Extra distractions can elongate the interaction.
- The officer may issue a citation. Do not be argumentative because this will not change the officer's decision. The officer will instruct you on how to satisfy the citation by either payment or have the violation reviewed before a judge.
- It's best to be honest with the officer. If you didn't see the speed limit sign, stop sign or weren't aware of the violation, let the officer know.
- Remember that when you accept the ticket it's not an admission of guilt. If you wish to contest the ticket, the citation will have information for how to do so.
- After the officer has said you're free to leave and the officer has returned to their squad, turn your blinker on and merge into traffic safely.
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MPD Performance Study
An Update on the MPD/OJP Performance Management Study | |
BACKGROUND:
In late January, the Minneapolis Police Department released the results of a thorough and comprehensive study on its performance management process. This independent review, which included input from community members and did not cost the taxpayers a single cent, was performed by the OJP (Office of Justice Programs), a division of the Department of Justice.
Chief Janeé Harteau asked for this assessment, long before the national conversation shifted and many departments were ordered to undergo the same type of review under a consent decree.
Aside from the 5 recommended areas of improvement, the assessment also found Internal Affairs complaints dropped 47% from 2008 to 2013. It also found coaching in the Department increased 6-fold during the 6 year study period.
 
4/22/2015 UPDATE:
An Update on the MPD/OJP Performance Management Study:
A few months ago, the Minneapolis Police Department launched 5 committees after receiving the final results from an Office of Justice Programs study, which looked at 6 years of data regarding MPD's oversight and discipline process. The 5 committees were founded under the headings of the areas of recommended improvements: community outreach, communication, police/conduct oversight, coaching and "Early Intervention System" (EIS). These committees are made up of police officers, community leaders, city leaders and scholars. Today, the MPD released an update on what these committees are working on.
Community Outreach: Catching Kids "doing right" is a program that will highlight and publicly recognize kids who are becoming leaders and having a positive impact on the community. Gun Safety Month, which will also be geared toward youth, will help engage youth and family members to promote safety and to build and reinforce positive relationships. More details are on the way soon.
Communication: The Minneapolis Police Department, with the help of committee members, is creating a social media team that will give residents "real-time" information and communication with officers on the beat. This team will highlight good work, community partnerships and crime alerts. This committee is also working on a video, driven by civilian questions that will help explain how the complaint and compliment process works within the PD.
Police Conduct/Oversight: This committee will be working on a brochure that details the Office of Police Conduct Review's role. The committee has also made a strong commitment toward publishing its work in 6 languages (English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Vietnamese and Oromo).
EIS: The EIS (Early Intervention System) Committee is putting together a list of possible factors to include in the system, which will include the number of reports of use of force, number of complaints and use of sick time. Members will also be recommending which tools might be made available if an Officer reaches certain thresholds on any of the factors.
Coaching: This committee is looking into performance mentoring and mediation for officers; rewarding those officers who are performing at a high level and working with officers who require tools to change or correct behaviors. Part of this process will begin in the MPD's Academy as young officers receive their initial MPD training. |
Trends from the Precinct
Information from Specialty Units | |
Community Response Team - drugs/prostitution
Our Community Response Team is comprised of plainclothes officers who investigate street-level drug-dealing and prostitution, as well as problem properties. When asked for current trends to convey to the residents, they recommended the following.
Be aware of suspicious behavior in your neighborhood, such as:
- Sudden foot traffic in and out of a home at odd hours
- An increase in vehicles parked for short periods of time in front of one address
Call 911 to report any of the above behavior. Give the location and description of what particular activity you witnessed, to help 911 operators convey the best information to officers.
To report ongoing prostitution or drug activity, call the Fifth Precinct Community Response Team at (612) 673-5716. You will get a voicemail. Leave the information and a contact number so they can follow up if they have any questions.
For information on calling 911, watch the below video:
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| | Nine helpful tips to help you after dialing 911 |
Property Crimes Investigations
Property Crimes Investigators investigate property crimes in the precinct. A number of crimes fall under "property crimes" but the two most common in Fifth Precinct are burglary and larceny.
Burglary means a crime is committed in a location where the person does not have permission to be (the crime is typically a theft). Despite people thinking of burglary as "breaking and entering," you do not actually need to break anything for it to be a burglary. If I walked into your home through a wide open door and stole something from inside, I would have committed a burglary.
Larceny means a theft that occurred anywhere the suspect had permission to be. Main examples of this include stealing from a friend's house or from someone inside an open business, stealing something from outside, theft from a motor vehicle parked on the street, and shoplifting.
In 2014, of all reported Part One crimes in Fifth Precinct, 89% was property crimes. In fact, 20% alone was burglary, and 64% alone was larceny.
The vast majority of our property crimes are crimes of opportunity-- which means a lot of times, the entry point is an open or unlocked window or door, or because the thief sees something easily accessible inside a vehicle.
The Property Crimes Unit recommends all residents remove the temptation by taking simple precautionary steps below.
- Lock all of your doors or gates including porches, gates, service entrances
- Store valuable items in a locked area: bikes, tools, lawn care items.
- Illuminate your yard, front and back at night. A good way to do this is to use dusk-till-dawn lighting, which could also be motion detector depending on the location or usage. Find more lighting tips here.
- Trim hedges and bushes below window level. Find more information on improving security through landscaping and lighting here.
- Call in anything suspicious with as great of detail as possible:
- The vehicle's:
- make and model
- color
- license plate number
- the person's:
- age
- height
- weight or build
- clothing
- race
- (Or any other distinguishing features to help with identifying and distinguishing that person or vehicle from any other)
Please view the above-linked video for more information on 911. |
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MPD Recruitment
Join the MPD | |
Interested in information on joining the MPD? Watch the recruitment video below:
The Minneapolis Police Department is committed to hiring a diverse workforce that represents the community it serves. Training began for 26 cadets earlier this year, and more than half of the cadets are either women or people of color. A top priority for Chief Janeé Harteau is to have a department that reflects the diversity and depth of Minneapolis. |
Seasonal Safety Tips
Simple and easy crime prevention tips for Spring/Summer | |
As we go into spring, we all want to enjoy the warm weather. This means more people leaving windows open, walking outside, doing yardwork, and more. Remember to keep a few simple crime prevention tips in mind to help reduce the opportunity for crimes.
- Call 911 on suspicious activity at the time you see it!
- Install or activate a tracking program/app on your smart phone to find it in case it is lost or stolen. This must be done BEFORE the phone is stolen.
- Install a security program on your laptop. This must be done BEFORE the laptop is stolen.
Robberies:
- Trust your instincts!If something feels off or wrong to you, there's a reason
- Pay attention to your surroundings
- Don't be distracted by your phone, as it can be stolen from your hand
- It's important not to drink and drive, but it's also important not to walk while obviously intoxicated, especially if you are alone, it is dark, you walk for blocks, and if you aren't liable to notice if you are being followed.
- More personal safety tips can be found under personal safety at http://www.minneapolismn.gov/police/crimeprevention/index.htm
- For pedestrian safety, visit the pedestrian section at www.sharetheroadmn.org
Burglaries:
- Pin all ground/first floor windows at 4-6". There are many ways to do this, depending on the type of window. For help/info, contact your CPS, visit a local hardware store, or see home security at http://go.usa.gov/3ZjJG
- Lock your garage service doors. If you often forget to do this, consider upgrading to a keypad lock that automatically locks when it shuts.
- Record the make, model and serial number of all your valuables. More info.
- Lock your doors and windows even when you are home. As you start doing yardwork/gardening, lock your doors to your home, especially on the opposite side of the house from where you are working.
- Watch this video of a career burglar to find out what made him choose one house or block and not another.
Theft from motor vehicle:
- Do not leave valuables visible in your vehicle. This includes putting it under your seat or putting a blanket over it.
- If you must leave valuables in your vehicle, put it in your trunk BEFORE reaching your destination
- Bags should not be left visible. Even if you know they are empty or only hold dirty gym clothes, a thief could believe it's filled with money.
- "Valuables" include GPS units, laptops, iPads, iPods, smart phones, wallets, purses, and more. If you spent money on it, someone can get money when they pawn it.
Bike theft and safety
- Record the make/model/serial number on your bike! This is very important! Most people do not have this information, and many bicycles that are recovered are sold at police auction every year.
- Register your bike with Minneapolis for free. Call 311 or visit http://go.usa.gov/3Zjh3
- Protect your bike with a lock that is difficult to compromise, like a u-lock.
- Visit http://go.usa.gov/3ZB7z and www.sharetheroadmn.org for more info.
For more crime prevention tips, visit http://go.usa.gov/3ZB7z. To read an article written for Hill and Lake Press in 2014 by a Fifth Precinct CPS about property crimes and how to prevent, visit http://bit.ly/1HrTnMT
To find ways to get involved, ask your Crime Prevention Specialist or check with your neighborhood association to learn about programs, events, and other opportunities near you. The full crime prevention staff contact map can be found at http://go.usa.gov/3ZB7k. |
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Be a Block Leader: Click Send
Being a block leader is easy! | |
What is a block leader and why do we keep talking about them? Studies have shown that a coordinated block can help cut down on crime, and anecdotally we've noticed that alert neighbors can help increase the chances of a criminal being caught.
Don't be intimidated by the term 'block leader' - it's easy:
- Block leaders receive special alerts ONLY block leaders get-- localized alerts of most crimes in a 1.5 to 2 block area around your house
- You forward information to your neighbors (whatever is pertinent as is decided for your block)
- How you send the information is up to you.
- Your contact information is protected by MN Data Privacy laws, which disallow us from sharing it with anyone other than other crime prevention volunteers
- Co-block leaders are encouraged! Interested but not sure if you want to do this on your own? Involve a neighbor!
Meeting socially (ie, for something fun) once a year or more is ideal-- most people do this at National Night Out (this year that will be August 4)-- but at the very least having a way for neigbbors to communicate when needed throughout the year is the most important part.
Your block might be missing a block leader! If you're wondering, contact your Crime Prevention Specialist (CPS) based on your location:
North of 36th Street EXCEPT Lyndale neighborhood: Chelsea Adams, chelsea.adams@minneapolismn.gov, 612.673.2819
South of 36th Street AND INCLUDING Lyndale neighborhood: Jennifer Waisanen, jennifer.waisanen@minneapolismn.gov, 612.673.2819
Based on your circumstances, we can either sign you up as a block leader right away or, if you'd like training, we do really simple, informal training at a coffee shop near you during the work week, around 30-40 minutes but we can adjust the time to fit your schedule.
It's easy and it goes a long way. And there isn't a large time commitment. |
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Spanish Outreach
with Crime Prevention Specialist John Reed |
 | | Spanish Language Outreach Specialist John Reed |
Scam Alert
Scams continue to plague Minneapolis residents. They come via email, text, phone or by letter. In most cases, the scammers have accurate personal information which they use to convince their victims to pay their demands. Under no circumstances pay anyone unknown to you any amount of money before speaking to someone you trust or with the Minneapolis Police. Please warn your family and friends about these scams.
Alerta de Estafa
Estafas continúan plagando los residentes de Minneapolis. Vienen a través de correo electrónico, texto, teléfono o por carta. En la mayoría de los casos, los estafadores tienen información personal exacta que usan para convencer a sus víctimas para pagar sus demandas. En ningún caso pague nada a nadie antes de hablar con alguien de confianza o con la Policía de Minneapolis. Por favor, avise a su familia y amigos acerca de este tipo de estafas.
Cuando hay dudas, no lo haga, o llame a John Reed para consejo en 612-673-5579. |
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Somali Outreach
with Somali Crime Prevention Specialist Ahmed Hassan |
 | | MPD Somali Liaison Ahmed Hassan |
Be Smart with your Phone:
- When not in use, store your phone in your purse or pocket.
- Avoid being distracted when using your phone.
- Avoid hanging your purse or bags on chair backs.
- Don't lend your phone to strangers.
Ilaasho telefoonkaaga adigoo raacaya tallaabooyinkan fudud:
- Marka aad isticmaaleyn telephoonka boorsada ama jeebka gasho
- Ha yeelin in lagu mashquuliyo marka aad istimaaleyso telefoonka
- Ha surin boorsada gacanta iyo tan kaleba kuraasta dhabarkooda.
- Ha u dhiibin telefoonkaaga qof aadan garaneyn.
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| Workshops & Events
Upcoming crime prevention and community events |
The Minneapolis Police Department's Crime Prevention unit would like to invite you to the following workshops.
Fifth Precinct Open House
Wednesday May 13
5-7 pm
5th Precinct
3101 Nicollet Av, 55408
*parking in the visitor's lot just south of 31st St on 1st Av, on the street, or follow signs on that day
Rental Property Owner Workshops
These free workshops are designed for rental property owners in Minneapolis. (You must own rental property in Minneapolis. This information is Minneapolis-specific and does not replace education in other municipalities.)
2015 Workshops:
Wednesday monthly dates: all times are 6-9pm:
May 20 + June 17 + July 15 + August 19 + September 16 + October 21 + November 18 + December 16
Saturday monthly dates: 10am-1pm:
April 25 + May 23 + June 13 + July 25 + August 22 + September 26 + October 24 + November 14 + December 12
All workshops are at the 5th Precinct, 3101 Nicollet Av S 55408.
The agenda for all 2015 workshops is:
* The ABC's of Rental Property Management
* Criminal Conduct on Licensed Premises
* Legislative updates and resources available to owners and managers of rental property owners
* Working with the MPD
RSVP by email only to Luther.Krueger@MinneapolisMN.gov. Include your contact information and list of rental properties you oversee.
We will email the workshop presentations and our Rental Property Owners Manual in advance of each workshop to those who are registered. There is a $30 fee that is waived if you are signed up for Action Alerts (which will give your crime alerts for your rental addresses; Luther Krueger can sign you up for those).
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The Minneapolis Police Department Fifth Precinct is dedicated to protecting the public and serving our communities. Thank you for your help in making Southwest Minneapolis a safe place to live, work and play.
Sincerely,
Inspector Todd Loining
5th Precinct Minneapolis Police Department |
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Wards | |
Ward 6
Council Member Abdi Warsame
Ward 7
Council Member Lisa Goodman
website
Ward 8
Council Member Elizabeth Glidden
website
Ward 10
Council Member Lisa Bender
website
Ward 11
Council Member John Quincy website
Ward 13
Council Member Linea Palmisano
website
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Neighborhood Associations | |
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