Contributed photos, xoxo and blog post by John HoffIn an ongoing effort to take Penn Ave. N. back from (suspected) johns and prostitutes, some of us drive around almost every day and call 911 on apparent hooker activity. The side streets around Penn Ave. N. are full of the same activity.
Today, at 2935 Queen Ave. N., a woman whose face is well-known as a frequent walker of the streets was spotted doing her thing on the steps of a house, which just happens to be owned by the city. We snapped pictures as our wonderful Minneapolis Police Department cited her for some infraction, (note the distinctive red stripe on the document) and we sure hope the infraction was loitering with the intent to commit prostitution, but--honestly--even a ticket for littering or jaywalking would be welcome to drive these suspected hookers off our streets.
Thank you, MPD, for showing up so quickly in response to our call for help!
(Do not click "Read More")
Today, at 2935 Queen Ave. N., a woman whose face is well-known as a frequent walker of the streets was spotted doing her thing on the steps of a house, which just happens to be owned by the city. We snapped pictures as our wonderful Minneapolis Police Department cited her for some infraction, (note the distinctive red stripe on the document) and we sure hope the infraction was loitering with the intent to commit prostitution, but--honestly--even a ticket for littering or jaywalking would be welcome to drive these suspected hookers off our streets.
Thank you, MPD, for showing up so quickly in response to our call for help!
(Do not click "Read More")
I thought in America we were free to walk or sit where we want? What is this a small part of Russia or China you have there? How is it you can trespass on city property (vacant homes) and you call the police on a poor lady who just wants to cool her heels. In fact, she's a taxpayer. If it's city owned that makes it a park.
ReplyDeleteNoMi needs some licensed brothels. We're never going to stop prostitution. We might play ping pong between Jordan and Hawthorne neighborhoods, or from one block to the other, but people have been hooking for as long as humans have been around and not even JNS is going to stop that.
ReplyDeleteThe only way to clean up the streets is to legalize it and regulate it.
And instead of trying to get people in trouble, you guys would do a lot more for the world if you were actually helping people get out of poverty and drug addiction.
To Don't Be Mean: You're damn right I will walk up to a city owned house, and check it to make sure it's secure, and call 311 and that's NOT trespassing, but when a hooker loiters on the steps, that IS trespassing. I don't see any problem with the distinction between decent citizens doing good versus criminals doing bad on city property.
ReplyDeleteThe city's "adopt vacant houses mandate," which this blog wrote about quite a bit back in 2008 was aimed at neighbors and decent citizens NOT hookers and drug dealers.
To Plane Head: No, it's just so much EASIER to call 911. Doesn't take a lot of time, gets quick results, feels good. And I am helping in my own way: I'm helping these addicts to "bottom out" so they might finally turn their life around. The quicker they can bottom out, the better, but more importantly they need to GET OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
How do you know she wasn't adopting that house? Still owned by the city makes it public property. She has as much a right to sit there as you have to steal phonebooks.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure that is not a woman. Next time you see "her" check the adams apple and the hands bro thats no girl, thats a chick with A DICK.
ReplyDeleteCpt Jack
I've started calling 911 on pretty much any female I see walking on Penn. I figure the more calls they get regarding Penn the more patrols we'll get on this busy area.
ReplyDeleteI actually understand that when you know the background of these people's lives that their life stories have led them to where they are at from lifetimes of victimization and abuse. I have done a lot to educate myself on this subject. However, do not let that make you think for one minute that arrest is not a good thing.
ReplyDeleteProstitution is closely tied with addiction and as long as an addict is getting money in some form and thereby getting their "fix", they are not likely going to get out of the life - not to mention living under the watch and control of their pimp. Arrest is an intervention. It gets them off the streets and believe it or not, getting into the court system is not all about punishment but also access to help and services. It also is an opportunity to get clean so they can assess their options without clouded judgement.
The odds of one of these women leaving this life (and its addiction and abuse by men) increases dramatically with intervention of arrest and the court system. For them to do it on their own when it is their only access to money, they are ever chasing their next high, and under the watch of a pimp (or his "watcher") is not very likely.
As much as the trolls may have disdain for John Hoff, the troll comments suggesting they more or less just be left alone makes me absolutely sick. In the name of sounding "caring" about these women (yeah, right) they are suggesting that they be left on the streets, not only victimizing the community, but also to be victimized by others. They are much more likely to end up dead either from their addictions or some violence against them.
As much as one may not like John Hoff, please do not take such disgusting positions just because you do not like John.
Johnny,
ReplyDeleteIf you want to rant against someone, take on pimps before hookers and dealers before addicts.
If we could figure out who the pimps are, and call them in, we would. It's an imperfect world. We're not going to stop calling in hookers just because the pimps are even MORE blameworthy.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever run across the Oklahoma City you tube videos of the guy filming Johns and hookers that looks like a good motivator for both parties to cease activity in an area. I personally think that more pressure on the illegal activity will just drive it to another location. The activity will never cease to exist, only cease where people put pressure on the illegal activity. Legalization with regulation seems like the only way to clean up the streets for good.
ReplyDeleteThe city wants residents to adopt a house on their block. Not patrol neighborhoods acting as "security guards". If I saw you walking around a empty house in my neighborhood checking doors and windows I would call 911 on you as a prowler. For all we know you steal property left on these properties while dumpster diving.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that if the cops showed up and saw JNS at an abandoned house they would know that he's just out doing work on behalf of NoMi and not out stealing anything.
ReplyDeleteNot that there's a lot to steal in one of these abandoned houses that have all the copper pulled out.
Exactly. Those cops LOVE the neighborhood do-gooder types who stick their noses into stuff and call 911 over crackheads loitering on vacant property, etc. In speaking to the police, I find many of them are quite familiar with this blog.
ReplyDeleteThey say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.They say two heads are better than one.There is plane,train and gondola added to the mix along with the ORIGINAL BOAT.Plane is a silly bastard whomoonlights as a third fucking rate troll.Your comment sucks and so does your ...never mind.Train head obviously got derailed on the delivery table or was it the petri dish,bish?Gondola head is okay because at least he or she makes an attempt at legitimacy and is mingling with an issue that is very serious.That would be the stripping of copper from empty houses.Don't Be Mean is looking forward to the hookers and drug dealers using their front steps as a "Heel Cooling Stop Area" Please post your address you front running puke vessel so these good folks know where to go when their dogs start barking i.e. feet begin to bleed.Finally to anonymous 12:41 addiction and crime go hand in hand so how about we focus on any asshole who is breaking the law?If a person does not clean themselves up from the bottom to the top one of the natural stops is being incarcerated.Boathead wants to once again thank John Hoff And Don Samuels and everyone else who loves North Minneapolis like i do.Monoculturalism is very boring and this section of the city always had it's share of winners,you guys are the latest and i appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI heart Boathead.
ReplyDelete