Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The divide between the citizens and the police grows a little wider (Editorial by JNS blog guest author "Forseti")

Stock photo provided by John Hoff for this blog post by guest author, the officers
depicted are actually St. Paul police officers. 


Blog post by guest author "Forseti"

While there are many frustrations with the police on the north side, I find many of them should belong with the city management (council, mayor, police chief).  Recently however, I observed something that was a complete lack of judgment on the part of the responding officer.  Several calls to 911 had been placed by residents reporting a loud party complete with 4 people in a vehicle parked in front of the house next door. Several people came from the party with glasses in their hands, got into the vehicle and were lighting and passing something around. There was one individual who urinated in the middle of the street. 


When the police showed up around 20 minutes later (not a bad response time for that time of night on a non-violent incident), they proceeded, from their squad to tell the people from the car that they “should go back inside as their neighbor was pissed at them.”  Now since the speakers in the party house were on the side of the house they were parked in front of, they quickly placed the blame on that neighbor for making the call...




I would think that anyone who makes it to patrol officer should have the intelligence to not act as a stooge for criminal activity. Instead of dealing with a long time problem property with countless 911 calls for a variety of issues, getting what likely would have been a number of easy arrests for open container, drug, and possibly other charges, they chose to lend them a hand and then, drive on by.


There has been a lot of anger in the community over “drive-by policing” where the officers respond, but never bother to get out of the car. I have witnessed this recently over a violent assault that involved someone’s head getting bounced off of a mailbox. This is a serious offense and should certainly merit the officers getting out of the car to check things out, summon medical assistance if needed, and arrest if necessary. 


This resulted in a very angry, rather large man pounding on the neighbor’s door the next morning. I am not quite sure that the officer had the slightest idea how things really work up here, but citizens take a certain risk by calling the police. I have personally overheard people talking about shooting up one of my neighbors houses for less than a 911 call. 


If the community is to make any headway against the crime and violence that have become far too commonplace, a working relationship between law enforcement and their true employers, the citizenry is a must. They are losing that trust and I wish them luck regaining it.

19 comments:

Johnny Northside! said...

John Hoff, the owner and editor in chief of this blog, welcomes this new guest author and, as I have been saying in another context, recently, I reserve the right to publish views that I may not agree with in every particular or in every matter of emphasis.

JNS continues to seek new guest authors.

Anonymous said...

MPD seems to hold everyone in contempt on the Northside. The MPD also seems to not like citizens wanting them to uphold the law. This sets a dangerous precedent. If our own police and city will not uphold the law and DO THEIR JOBS guess who's going to do it for them, us.

Johnny Northside! said...

I do not agree with that comment. In fact, in the ultimate sense, I might not even agree with this editorial. But, hey, this is the kind of discussion we need to have in the community so "discuss away."

Anonymous said...

Yes , things around here do need to change . I had my tv up all the way last Friday , Saturday night I still couldn't here it . I don't allow myself to have the fantasies about pointing shotguns out my window and blasting out their front windshield . Keep it up assholes . Bring on the police state this neighborhood deserves it and somebody best start watching their kids .

Anonymous said...

I have rarely needed the assistance of law enforcement but when I have they were fast and helpful. I do see a lot of facebook chatter that people are crying over neighbors having party’s and then drinking outside. Crying on about the fact that all they did was tell them to take it inside and quiet down. That is 99 percent of what they did on my college campus and in the town I grew up in. We expect a swat team to remove the annoyance? Word.

Anonymous said...

Hold up. You've found the Norse god of Justice, and he's blogging now? Curiouser and curiouser. Let Forseti know we weep still for Baldr, and ever do pray Hel will return to him his breath. Also, I'd like a date with Freya...

Anonymous said...

Crazy can be throwing dishes against the wall in her apartment. The cops usually will not do a welfare check unless they hear the noise; therefore, leaving everyone frustrated except for the person who was throwing dishes. And the person throwing dishes, beating walls, etc., will again be doing it in short time. Many cities and burb police will do welfare checks, but that doesn't seem to be the norm for Downtown police.

Anonymous said...

A swat team is what it often takes to talk to these animals. Next time you're going over to a rowdy neighbor's ghetto shit rental house in North to tell them to turn down their ghetto shit music send a note here, I'd like to watch that!

Anonymous said...

You assholes better start appreciating your law enforcement representatives unless you want the brothers of McAfee patrolling yo' streets...you motherfuckers are phonies and enablers.
The police officers that watch your filthy fucking area are doing you a favor that you could never repay.

Anonymous said...

we had your asses back in the 60s when you could shoot people and would not even make the news, kind of like now when you have to kill someone to make press.

Anonymous said...

Forseti is absolutely correct. We can have no quality of life,no sense of peace or safety until we have police who can & will enforce all laws & ordinances. Thank-you for this blog.

Anonymous said...

Define phonies and enablers Anonymous 8:49 AM. I'd bet you don't live in North. It only takes one cop to put you in harms way and at that point I would bet you wouldn't call me a phony or an enabler if you came to my door after some pig ratted me out.

Anonymous said...

@ May 22, 2014 at 9:38 PM
I'm no grammar cop, but damn! You should at least be issued a warning.
I can't understand what the fugg you are trying to say.

Anonymous said...

5-22 at 938...I have lived North longer than some of the houses you burglarized as a kid.. and you have no inkling of when one of your homies may rat your bitch ass out. Believe it...if I came to yur house I would be disguised as a Jehovah's Witness and take you out.

Anonymous said...

Refer to May 22, 8:49 P.M. May 24, 1:43 A.M. Another "person" on JNS who only reads the last comment, smh.

Anonymous said...

The Police and City Administration lost public trust years ago and don't even care to regain it.

Anon. 8:49 sounds like one of the half-wit Cops we get deployed on the North Side and you can be assured they don't live here. If they did - Maybe they would care a little!

Anonymous said...

Sgt. Frank Ellering's (Ret) worked in Internal Affairs. This is his advice to new recruits:

"If you want to arrest another cop, find a different profession"

http://minneapolispolicefraternalassociation.com/

Johnny Northside! said...

I am publishing various comments in the name of having a vigorous free speech discussion, but all I have to say is GOD BLESS MPD and I don't have a single complaint about the cops on the Northside, except there aren't enough of them.

Anonymous said...

Johnny@ 839; check Betsy Boop Hodges who will try her best to emulate Sharon-murderapolis- Sayles-Belton.
Re: History. Gotta love those innocent shit's who get played severely and celebrate their open-mindeness.