JNS blog had been wondering what happened with all the promises made by politicians in 2013, that North Minneapolis' outrageous concentration of Level Three Sex Offenders would finally be addressed and solved? Today I can report exciting rumors of a "moratorium" on new L3SOs moving into two North Minneapolis zip codes, 55411 and 55412, and I will be compiling a list of dirty dogs who are allowed to live here FOR NOW.
Apparently, if any dirty dogs are added to the list, this will violate the moratorium and, in that case, residents should contact...
...this blogger, Hennepin County Commissioner Linda Higgins, their North Minneapolis city council person, and the case manager of the sex offender in question, in that order. Normally I'd say I was kidding at this point but...
I'm not kidding.
Within the past few hours news of the moratorium was suddenly aired on North Vent Facebook forum in response to a question posted by Tyrone Jaramillo, a longtime North Minneapolis resident and a force for good in the hood. Roberta Johnson Englund, a neighborhood executive director, said as follows:
Hennepin County put a moratorium on any new sex offenders coming to 55412 and 55411 in 2013. That does not mean that a L3 that is already living in either zip code cannot move around within the geography - it means that "new" offenders will not be permitted. The source for this information is Commissioner Linda Higgins and any one who believes a violation has occupied should call her office. This is a first step in limiting density.
Commissioner Linda Higgins, seeing her name come up responded to questions posted by this blogger, as follows:
John, we have some control only on the offenders still on paper. If they finish probation/parole, we cannot influence where they live. Hennepin county notified state department of corrections after our meeting this summer that we weren't going to take more in 55411/2. A couple were in the pipeline, and a few have moved, like from Lyndale to Newton or something, but I think that is it.
I will, however, be IMMEDIATELY compiling a list of the "on paper" Level Three Sex Offenders in those two zip codes so if any new offenders find their way to North Minneapolis whose names DO NOT MATCH THE LIST, residents of North Minneapolis can contact the individuals listed above (in that order) and also...
* Shout out to the heavens on North Vent Facebook forum, tagging the names of various public officials as part of the discussion, drawing attention to A VIOLATION OF THE ZIP CODE MORATORIUM.
* Submit comments to this blog.
* Bang gongs in the street to drive away "evil spirits."
* Fall into bleak despair, because the odds this "zip code moratorium" will be obeyed are about 10 to 1 and it's probably just a cynical bureaucratic tactic to forestall an inevitable, much-needed and much-deserved lawsuit by North Minneapolis residents against the MN DOC with Johnny Northside named as the lead plaintiff.
Baby.
But in the meantime, I have a list to compile of dirty dogs so residents besides this blogger can "patrol the moratorium line." Though there is about as much hope of this moratorium holding as there is hope of a lasting ceasefire in South Sudan, even a little hope is better than no hope at all.
Pictured above, Bernard Schug, who was once charged with flashing a 5-year-old girl. His supervising agent is, of course, Bobby Chevalier-Jones, which this blog has long held accountable for allowing Level Three Sex Offender and frivolous litigant Peter Rickmyer just, you know, run wild.
Which reminds me. I will be figuring out which MN DOC supervising agent has the most "on paper" L3SOs in North Minneapolis and NAMING NAMES.
Stay tuned for THAT.
(ADDENDUM, January 7, 2014. This is not a correction because no incorrect statement was made in the blog post above, HOWEVER there is further highly-pertinent information about an earlier public mention of the "zip code moratorium."
Word has reached me that on December 6, 2013, there was mention in discussion upon North Talk Facebook forum, as follows:
The earlier date of knowledge of the moratorium is important, because at least one Level Three Sex Offender was dumped in North on or about December 17, 2013. JNS blog will continue to dig, dig, dig into this issue and urge patrolling of the tenuous "sex offender cease fire.")
Sorry to burst your bubble, but unless North Vent had this a month ago, North Talk broke this news first.
ReplyDeleteI followed your link to North Talk, but I'm not seeing the specific discussion you're referencing which says anything about this kind of moratorium. I see a generalized discussion about Level Three sex offenders and the problems they cause.
ReplyDeleteFor now, my bubble remains completely un-bursted unless you have better proof than THAT. And don't even get me GOING about the superiority of North Vent to North Talk, you don't want to GO THERE.
On December 6, a person by the name of Paul Schulz posted: "Regarding all of the L3SO comments- are people aware that the nbrhd rabble-rousing apparently worked and the DOC is currently not placing any L3SO's in North Minneapolis ZIP codes?"
ReplyDeleteWhen I asked if that was something that could be verified, he responded that same day, "I have it on good authority, but what could or would be verified I'm not sure. I'd assume it is an effort to prevent over-concentration in areas, but it's not something I would expect to be indefinitely sustained after efforts to even out concentrations occur. Likeliest scenario is DT homeless shelters/ bridge underpasses will hit their breaking point and result in more community outcry around homeless over-population or over-concentration there. I think the most productive advocacy on this issue, other than just the general NIMBY arguments, would be to demand housing opportunities for sex offenders in general- if the concern is an over concentration of sex offenders around areas with large amounts of children, there would be plenty of areas without many kids or potential for housing in otherwise non-residential areas that would at least put a roof over people's heads and give them something to lose if tempted to re-offend."
You are certainly entitled to your opinions about which page is better for what purpose, and whether the information was more relevant when posted on North Vent a month later. But you are factually incorrect when you state that the announcement broke on NV.