Monday, May 24, 2010

Emergency Community Meeting on Gun Violence!


Post by the Hawthorne Hawkman, contributed stock photo

There have been a spate of shootings around 26th to 31st Avenues North, and Thomas and Upton Avenues. Two have happened over the weekend, and several more occurred in broad daylight over the past month. Tomorrow night, concerned NoMi citizens are gathering at St. Anne's Senior Housing at 2300 West Broadway to discuss strategies in response.

City leaders, representatives from the 4th Precinct, and many who are willing and able to stand up for our neighborhoods will be in attendance, and we hope to see you there. Neighbors rightly consider this an emergency situation and we both want and need to get a handle on this outbreak of violence before the summer months pick up.

Come and join us at St. Anne's on Tuesday night, 6 p.m.

(Do not click "read more.")





33 comments:

Shamika said...

There should be an emergency meeting on police brutality and the kind of police criminality associated with the Metro Gang Taskforce. That's a much bigger threat to the community than a few idiots shooting one another.

Down With Mean Folks said...

Maybe we need to have another candlelight vigil to show those thugs that we mean business. Eventually they'll tire of seeing our vigil's and stop the violence.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Jeff and John for getting this important notice out so promptly. It would mean alot to us if everyone able could attend. This is happening in broad daylight and there are always kids on these streets and many buss stoping and unloading many more all day long. We need to take drastic measures before its not just thugs killing each other.
So please come its important, thank you.

T Jaramillo

Patrick said...

Please JNS readers. If you can make it please do. Only a mass swarm of law abiding citizens can show the thugs we don't want them in our neighborhood.

Loco Toco said...

I'll be there. Can't wait to meet Megan G, Patrick, Ranty and everyone else.

Anonymous said...

Thanks again to the 40 to 50 people that showed up at tonights discussion. We still need your further involvement in the community. It looks like a lot of work needs to be done to find other programs and avenues for the youth in our city. Please think about volunteering time to either being a block club leader or serving on the Jordan Area Community Council. Keep your eyes open for your neighbors.

T Jaramillo

Patrick said...

Thanks everyone who came to the meeting tonight. Alot of great ideas were exchanged and I think everyone left feeling safer.

Anonymous said...

I rolled on in a little late for this meeting, and I got to say, if this north side meeting had more drama than a Mexican soap opera. They had people yelling over each other, and some man who didn't want to talk about shootings and violence, but seemed to have some kind of agenda of his own to rally against the non-profit groups in the area. Not sure what that was about. Then there was some young lady who started yelling because she couldn't understand why the community isn't paying for her 4 kids to go to summer camp because the streets aren't safe and she can't afford to pay for it herself. Just about the time I was thinking maybe this lady should talk to some of those non-profit outfits about finding somebody to pay for her kid's summer camp, some of the other fine folks of St Annes started yelling at the councilman again from the back of the room. They they turned on some other man who told them to shut up (but with nicer words). I thought things might even come to blows for a second or two, and though it's nice that nobody was hurt, it sure would have been a climactic way to end the meeting. I'm going to have to find a way to get to more of these meetings. They're better than prime time tv.

Don Allen said...

Jeff - I attended the meeting. CM Don Samuels is not honest with the residents of North Minneapolis.

Johnny Northside! said...

Really, Don, you need to be a lot more specific though, of course, I already disagree.

Johnny Northside! said...

Here are James Nelson's comments on the meeting, which went out on the Upper Willard Homewood Listserv.

-------
This is my summary of the meeting held tonight at St. Annes Sr Housing from 6-7:30. Moderated by Daniel Rother. Please forgive any name misspellings.

Jim Highmel from MPD comments:

Shooting string started with 35th/Humbolt and hasn't stopped for weeks

Too many 16-18 yr olds hanging out w/nowhere to go

North Mpls recovers more guns than the rest of Mpls & St Paul combined

Most common answer to why kids are shooting: "because I felt like it".

Young kids have no respect for elders anymore

Shootings mostly 'retaliations'; vicious cycle

When you call 911 use helpful words like:'suspicious, party, assault, etc'; don't be vague

Don Samuels comments:

7 problem convenience stores have been closed since he's been in office. They want stores, just not if people can't run them well. They need to close poorly managed stores so good management can move in

If you have a problem property and you can't work it out with the owner, start a string of 911 calls to start the process of closing the property down. Try to work with the owners first but demand appropriate behavior from you neighbor

Don met with 12 agencies yesterday that work with youth. Call his office to get a packet of youth activities that these agencies offer to our youth

There was a shooting around the lakes yesterday and they are banding together to get more help over there. We need to do the same in NoMi. Don passed a petition around for all to sign

JACC (Jordan Area Community Council) comments:

JACC has 25K that they must use for safety in Jordan. The crowd voted almost unanimously to hire foot and bycycle officers for summer

JACC has funding for youth programs but needs volunteers to run programs. If you are interested, please contact JACC (10 people signed up tonight including myself as U-WHO and JACC would like to unite in their youth programs)

JACC has money for programs but not for any staffing so need volunteers

Audience comments (there were about 40 attendees):

A few years ago, MPD hired state patrol officers for the summer and drastically reduced crime
Make North Mpls a Gun Free Zone to increase penalties for having guns. Don will check the feasability of this idea (good thinking outside the box!)

Residents at St Annes Facility watch crime all day long out their window. Don will check into 2 problem apartment complexes on Penn just out St. Annes window. These folks don't feel safe going to the gas station on 26/Penn. One elder had a young man snatch his cigarettes he just bought out of his hand and stood there. What could our elder do, he asked.

Some residents at St. Annes need the 26/Penn store as it has produce and other ammenities CVS doesn't

26th/Penn store should hire cops like Handy Stop and CVS so it can be safe like these stores are when the police are there

We need not be afraid of these kids but say hello and make them feel like they do matter. Not all kids are bad just a few.

crazy white lady said...

Thanks for the updates. It's hard to make meetings that take place in the evening as I work evenings....Sorry thugs reading this, someone is always home.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who knows the goings on in Minneapolis is aware that Don Allen is just an angry man. He's angry because "the other kids won't pick him to play on their team". And they don't want him because he's not a team player. He's out for himself. Any group or non-profit that won't use his media or advertising services gets trashed by him.
Don has developed a reputation, and is known to surreptitiously record meetings, and disrupt meetings to promote his agenda. The result is, when he attempts to attend a Northside meeting as happened last week, he's told the meeting is private.
Don is great at whining about the failure of others. But until he actually picks up a shovel and plants a tree, I could care less what he has to say.

MikeT said...

Never a dull moment at Northside meetings. Everybody has to express an opinion, whether or not it has the slightest thing to do with whatever the subject at hand is.

You couldn't pay me enough to do Don Samuels' job.
That poor guy must see some of these crazy people in his sleep.

Boogaloo said...

Guns & Knives have no place anywhere in NoMi. I don't care if it's a squirt gun, a paintball gun, a real gun, a gun made out of wood, a stick that looks like a gun, someone holding their fingers like a gun, it's a gun. The same goes for knives. I don't care if it's a plastic knife, a butter knife, a steak knife, a sharpened stick, or someone pointing their finger, it's all knives and there should be ZERO TOLERANCE for any of these things in NoMi. Having any of these things is felony terroristic threats and the punishments should be severe.

Anonymous said...

Don Allen calling out Samuels was spot on.

Samuels is spoiled tainted white icing with bitter Jamaican Rum cake.

These kids have to live somewhere. To save argument, forget the kids are late teens or even early teens with guns. At some point when they are young enough a difference can be made in the youth. That was a ringing point made at the meeting. Samuels response was to go on a which hunt and we will jimmy-rig 3 calls against the property to shut it down. So much for the youth questions being addressed. Phone books, Auto Zone and other non-issues have nothing to do with the solution.

Although I do not like abortion, abortion clinics have the most to do with decreases in crime (Freakanomics - sp?). Many people are turned off by that, however, it is a solution (only for the sake of the point - not trying to debate abortion).

What does one think increased fees and additional enforcement actions for phone books will do to stop youth violence. Also, when investors stop putting money into properties and leave it to the gov't to take care of housing needs that is inefficient and not a make sense solution either.

Just think about what you are saying and doing that is going to entice new homeowners, new tenants and new real business (not nonprofits) to respect the neighborhood.

From what I read on this it would appear there is nothing good in the neighborhood. It is not very friendly and it is mostly all anger related. Sadly, polarized people on become more polarized when they hang out with other like-minded people. In other words, the hate grows stronger, the anger grows stronger and the middle ground become miles and miles away.

Who care if there is a car that someone is trying to repair in front of Mogal's place. What is the point? Big deal. A guy needs to make a repair. If it is a one time thing fine. If it is a full time repair shop, sure I think it should not be done there either. Apparently it is fun to bash people who have a properly licensed vehicle who are just trying to get the thing going again. What are we going to have next? a full exclusive report for someone who has a tire low on air.....oooooh...breaking news and photos to follow.

As far as the stupid phone book thing. I hate phone books as much as anyone. In fact, I think they are unnecessary all together. I hate them, but, there is a process to go through at the legislative level to ban phone books. I picked up a phone book one time and was yelled at because they didnot want me to throw it away. Unfortunately, the owner of the home (or tenant) has the right to have a phone book lay in on their porch. Like it or not, there are rules out there and the promotion of mob rule on this site only makes the participant look like fools while further polarizing its adversaries.

Grow up and meet a youth, be a mentor without all the blog crap and glory. Be a neighbor. That is what other normal neighborhoods do.

Thanks Don Allen for calling out Samuels. It was spot on. This stuff is out of Samuel's wheel house.

Food for thought.

Patrick said...

What's with the lady who kept going on and on about how we should send her kids to camp. I though we were there to support the community and discuss the gang gun violence. I was hoping someone would have removed her from the meeting. I hate disruptions WE NEED TO FOCUS PEOPLE!

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:51

Why would you try to remove a phone book from a house that is occupied? Of course occupants can have the damn things on their porches... we're complaining about phone books being dropped off at VACANT homes.

Pond-dragon said...

Mike T: You nailed it on the head:

Yes we noticed the TROLLS @ 9:43 & 3:51

9:43 TROLL no one is stopping you from going and making hugs with the shooters, have at it! According to you they are safer than the boys in blue. Our community folks will be watching.

3:51 TROLL (Evidently you are few pennies short of a penny) Lets go out and ,make hugs with a crazy Gang Banger pointing a loaded 9mm at our head!
Better idea: Why don't you go join the Army and make hugs with the Taliban? Send your TROLL remarks Via "HARD ROCK CAFE KABUL"

Jermaine Williams said...

That Don Allen is right, i'm tired of politicians calling meetings, speaking and then doing nothing. Lets start locking up criminals and stop making appearances.

Anonymous said...

Is there funds for my kids daycare also? JOKES!!

Anonymous said...

Anon 351:
I had to spit out your "Food for Thought" because your English was so bad. Ever heard of a school?

The Hawthorne Sentinal said...

I don't know that Anon 3:51 is a troll, seems to be commenting on topic. You can try and demean the writer by calling them a troll but that shows a weakness in your own point of view.

Anonymous said...

I heard the MPD was throwing support behind Folk Nation to push the GD's back to Chicago.

In Your Face said...

Hey if yall ever get tired of vigls and community meetings come on out to Maple Grove. We have shopping, restaurants and no shootings. Our stores don't even sell those little glass pipes. Only long white tee shirts you'll see in the MG is on a kid in his mom's Tahoe.

Emma said...

10:19,

Glad to see that the MPD is finally doing something about the Gangster Disciples. I don't know if the Folk Nation will make good allies, but if they have to join forces with the MPD long enough to get the GD's out of town and back to Chicago it will be worth it.

Johnny Northside! said...

These comments above are just trolls spreading false info. Nothing is happening involving any Folk Nation or Gangster Disciples. But sometimes troll comments get posted just to show how STOOPID the trolls are and what kind of stupid rumors they think people will swallow.

Anonymous said...

JNS how would you know? Are you inside the MPD? If they were working on a gang strategy do you really think you would be consulted? Perhaps it is you spreading incorrect information.

emma. said...

there is another set of notes from the meeting here: http://upperwho.org/summary-of-meeting-regarding-recent-gun-violence.html (look below James Nelson's notes)

Johnny Northside said...

A gang strategy to bring one gang in against another?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_Nation

That's just STOOPID. And here we have the anonymous STOOPID person asking who am I, how would I know? Well, who are you? How would YOU know? You're just a stupid troll. You don't know anything.

Anonymous said...

I know enough to waste your time.

Way Cooler Than You said...

I just read this on the StarTribune. With stupid names like "The Taliban" and "19 Block Dip Shi*ts" maybe we should just put them all in a park and let them shoot each other. What a loser city we have when our gangs choose lame names like "The Taliban". How can they even shoot staight when they are probably laughing so hard at the names.

http://www.startribune.com/local/94980344.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnciaec8O7EyUsl

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:15,

Sorry, I type too fast and think too fast. I will try to slow it down as well as dumbing it down for you.

And your suggesting or solution to addressing youth gun violence was???

You cure for Dandy Don Samuels spewed false rhetoric was????

I suppose you are just some Phone book groupie vigilantly or renegade thinking that is somehow saving the neighborhood. Point is, there is a process to go through to stop the stupid phone books being from dumped off in the first place. You are to naive to figure it out most likely.