post by John Hoff
I know it's hard to keep straight all the shootings, and memorials to shootings, and shootings at memorials to shootings, so let me break it down and make it plain.
A few years ago, a young man named Haywood Eaton was shot and killed at Broadway and Bryant Ave. N. by another young man named Denell Malone. Neither of these two young men was better than the other, it was just fate that Malone got the drop on Eaton rather than...
...the other way around. This is, in fact, the case with many if not the majority of adult shooting "victims" in North Minneapolis.
In the customary way, a "memorial" arose at the spot where Haywood Eaton died, complete with booze bottles and other sad little offerings. In September of 2010, when members of Eaton's family were paying tribute at the memorial, a small riot broke out and there was a shooting a couple blocks away. Click here for Star Tribune story.
According to a high ranking public official who provided me the information, THAT police response cost exactly $14,340.
A couple nights ago, there was ANOTHER incident at the memorial. Two people were shot. Click here for Star Tribune story.
So how much did THAT police response cost? Unknown, but my source figures it would be about the same as the previous police response.
Stay tuned, I have dug up the extensive criminal record for Haywood Eaton's mother and I will be publishing it soon.
In the meantime, I would like to ask: Can our city afford the cost associated with these "memorials?" Shouldn't all these memorials be taken down shortly after they are erected, before passions grow hot, violence takes place and ching-ching-ching the taxpayers have to foot the bill, AGAIN?
So his family are allowed to cause mayhem and the rest of us pay for it. Thugs get shot by thugs that is the way it works you think it would sink in.
ReplyDeleteMCullen NE
The only family of Haywood's that was out there was his mother! The rest were gang members!
DeleteThese people simply need to leave and stay out of Minneapolis.
ReplyDeleteThe low lifes are NOT leaving NoMi. NOT when they walk out of jail or never go to jail for CRIMES they commit. NoMi is a thugs haven. Not until they KILL themselves will there be peace and harmony in your community. Sad, but so TRUE!
ReplyDeleteMONTANA
Yes, these street-side memorials to dysfunctional lifestyles have to stop!
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly is the Police response and why does it cost so much?
ReplyDeleteMaybe if they were a little more vigilant about crime prevention these people would leave!
@ 11:10 AM. Welcome to NoMi where we harbor and shelter terrorists!
ReplyDelete@ March 19, 2013 at 11:57 AM,
ReplyDeleteNow, I'm not exactly Charles Bronson, but EVERYONE needs to be a little more vigilant.
It all adds up, from the "we watch we call" to the police increasing patrols.
I agree that the cost seems rather high. Let's make some assumptions:
ReplyDeleteTaxpayer cost of an officer - $100/hr. Now, I know they don't get paid that much, but you have to factor in their benefits, overhead (management, the police department building, lights...), the cost of the squad car, stuff like that. If that number is accurate then it would mean 143 labor hours to deal with that first situation. That seems really really high. Picture 9 people working on the case, and taking two full shifts of work. I don't know the details, but that just seems really high, so I must be missing something there.
I guess it doesn't matter, it doesn't change the story if the cost were $50. There are no good reasons for this crap to be happening. It really does suck that taxpayers are stuck footing the bill for this sort of stuff.
Jail is only a temporary solution. I mean, we're still footing the bill for that, and that's not cheap. Here's a controversial idea - what about police checkpoints? Forget about which laws it would break and details like that, I mean the concept. If we had police checkpoints that stopped all cars and searched people (yeah, I know, fourth amendment, just go with me here), do you think it would help reduce crime? I think it would reduce certain crimes, but I think it would cause more tension toward police and probably cause more harm than good.
So I guess I don't know a good solution, I'll just shake my head at these people and hope someone else can come up with one.
Pretty boring blog with the no recent comments or threads down. Kind of takes the air out of your balloon and squelches any real discussion.
ReplyDeleteRacist comment rejected. The situation here is bad enough without injecting an overtly racist element to the comments.
ReplyDeleteThe only family that Haywood had out there was his mother so stop calling it a family vigil!
DeleteA few years ago some decent, up-standing neighborhood activists were holding some "heart of the city" barbeque get togethers. Some of them ended up being held on city property. We had to get certificates of insurance in order to use the property.
ReplyDeleteWhy aren't the thugs being held to these same expectations for their gatherings? No permit/certificate then shut it down immediately.
This was a "Tippling" house where crowds gather and discuss the days events over a couple of cocktails. I know I may be going back a bit, in fact I will say October 11,1981, when I know of a young man who threatened people that he was blowing up the joint as he pulled out a tear gas canister and acted as though he had a GRENADE while he pulled the pin out.
ReplyDeleteMy friend stepped up and blew his brains out. This was 11th and Irving and I will state that the more things change, the more they remain the same. Library micro-fiche is amazing so check out some criminal history by just scanning and you would be surprised what articles and names pop up out of the blue.
So the family has a vigil and someone shoots at them...how is this their fault? You people are real jerks
ReplyDeleteI witnessed the shooting and saw a mobile Easy-off oven cleaner unit (similar to the Oscar Meyer hot dog truck) trying to get a weeks worth of work done in one minute. The hot dog truck was chopped for parts.
ReplyDelete