Following several more nights of unrest and violence in Uptown, Mayor Jacob Frey is outlining a plan along with Minneapolis Police to control the neighborhood.
Nightly protests have continued for weeks since a U.S. Marshals Service task force shot Winston Smith in a parking ramp. Smith was sitting in an SUV with a date on June 3 when he was fatally shot by deputies who said they were trying to arrest him on a weapons violation.
In a Facebook post Thursday evening, the mayor said, “What has transpired in Uptown the last several nights is not a form of peaceful protest or demonstration. A neighborhood in our city has endured violent behavior at the hands of people looking to sow chaos. Community members, business leaders, and elected officials should not hesitate to call it out and condemn it. It's unacceptable.”
Frey along with Minneapolis Police and City Council Member Lisa Goodman, met with the Uptown Business Association in order to create a plan to contain the neighborhood. Businesses in the area have been struggling with getting customers back, and most recently the Uptown Art Fair cancelled the 2021 event.
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On the call with business owners, Minneapolis officials said they would have ramped up patrols for this coming weekend in Uptown, but there is no word yet on how the city plans to combat the violence and unrest long term. At least one business WCCO Radio spoke to is looking into hiring private security to keep its staff, customers and building safe.
According to Mayor Frey:
“The MPD is boosting investigative capacity with support from partner agencies.
We are in close touch with neighboring jurisdictions and receiving support as it’s available.
Community partners are on the ground and working with the City as is appropriate and safe.
We became the first local government to finalize a plan for federal stimulus investments to help meet urgent needs like this.”
The Mayor then went on to say:
“(Minneapolis Police) Chief Arradondo and I have remained consistent, fighting to preserve staffing levels and additional recruit classes to bring in new, community-oriented officers. We will continue striving to deliver on community safety for Minneapolis residents and accountability from law enforcement.”
Part of the issue the Minneapolis Police Department is facing is a lack of officers and also a lack of new recruits. Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson told WCCO’s Mike Max in June that while they are trying to assist Minneapolis Police, there are not enough patrols available.
“We’re helping as much as we can,” Hutchinson said on the WCCO Morning News. “They’re facing a crisis that nobody wants to talk about. There’s not enough cops to properly police Minneapolis at this point.”
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