Minneapolis is Diligently Trying to Prevent Crime

Even though the crime rates have been steadily falling from the 1990’s, some of the bigger cities across the nation have to still contend with a growing crime rate. While the government officials are doing their best, crime related problems continue to persist due to the ever-growing population in these urban centers. So fighting crime is a battle that must be waged continuously day after day by law enforcement agencies against elements of anarchy and social unrest.

Minneapolis is located in Minnesota and has a population hovering just under 400,000. The emergency services in this major American city almost never stop fielding calls and requests for aid. On any given day, over 1,000 calls are received and processed for emergency services from the police, fire, or EMT departments.

Due to budget constraints and the sheer reality of the situation, it is not always possible to immediately respond to all calls made for emergency services. All calls involving life threatening problems are given first priority. The less severe calls for assistance are prioritized and processed in the most logical manner to ensure the best service possible.

During peak times, a situation is assessed using the following criteria before a cop is dispatched to the location. The process of such verification and dispatching a cop takes around one hour. An incoming call is considered high priority if 1. there is an immediate threat to life, 2. there are any injuries 3. there is any ongoing criminal action and 4. the offender is present in the immediate vicinity or is expected to return.

Minneapolis devised this method of prioritization of incoming calls in order to handle crime more expediently. It is effective because it reduces the chances of spending time and energy on low priority calls. Moreover, they can focus their resources to handle ongoing crimes quickly and effectively. These strategies are all part of the new CODEFOR plan.

CODEFOR stands for Computer Optimized Deployment—Focus on Results. All sections of the police force are involved in this new crime reduction initiative and it involves four basic ideas: 1. accurate and timely intelligence on crime that is occurring 2. rapid deployment of personnel and resources in appropriate circumstances 3. effective tactics and 4. relentless follow-up and assessment.

In another Minneapolis initiative, a voluntary program called “Watch Your Car”, the participating citizens give a declaration to the police that their car is normally not used between 1 am and 5 am and therefore give the police permission to pull their car over if and when seen on the roads during this period.

Reflective stickers are provided to the participants to be pasted on the vehicles. The police identify the vehicles by these stickers and have the right to pull over the vehicle even if no crime has been witnessed. Thus far, the citizens are finding this radical program effective and the results of this program seem to please all sides.

However, it is presumptuous to consider a crime fighting initiative will be 100% effective. But, the Minneapolis police department is certainly trying its best to make the community as safe as possible for its citizens. It is a great incentive for people considering relocating to Minneapolis as the community is committed to fighting crime to make the city safe to live.

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