Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey discussed the current uptick in crime on Thursday, saying it's a "chicken and the egg" situation. His comments came after a shooting along the Nicollet Mall rail stop on Tuesday, which left one teen dead.
"It's absurd. Awful. Let's just be crystal clear about that," Frey said about the Minnesota teen killed in the shooting.
Frey shared his thoughts with News Talk 830 WCCO's Chad Hartman, discussing the growing concern around crime in the city.
The mayor said that while crime in the city is concerning and terrible, the issue is more complex than some think.
"You're not going to have people that want to come downtown until you have safety. You're not going to have safety until you have people downtown and eyes on the street," Frey said. "Those two facets definitely work together."
Frey isn't the only one sharing this sentiment either, as Tim Mahoney, the owner of The Loon in Minneapolis and St. Paul, shared with Hartman earlier this week that the issue is getting people to come back downtown because more people breeds safety.
"The more people walking around the skyways or on Nicollet Mall, it breeds safety. You feel safer in numbers," Mahoney said.
Mahoney added that he can see the shift in the crowds at night outside his restaurant and that once it hits midnight, things change.
"It's still a very nice place to come," Mahoney said. "It's relatively safe. Things change at midnight."
While acknowledging the rise in crime and recent shootings, Frey still encouraged Minnesotans to make their way back into the city, saying that it has a lot to offer and, together, we can help make it a safer place.
"I'm in the office. I'm here every day. I'm out on the street every day," Frey said. "And you know, I do encourage people to come back and remember all the great things we have in the city."
Related
Related
