The snow is melted and that means it is prime burglary season. Here’s a story from Indiana where a homeowner’s security camera captured the bad guys in action:

The video obtained exclusively by Channel 13 shows the woman suspect knocking on the door. She does nothing to hide her face, so police suspect the couple has no idea they are being recorded by a home security camera.

Moments later her male companion is caught on tape looking in through a front door window pane. You can see him knock on the door and then he turns backwards and gives the door a swift kick, forcing their way in.

I talked to Susan Young from Minneapolis Solid Waste this morning and got the answers to some of your questions.

1. To report graffiti online go to; http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/graffiti/report.asp
- You have the option to attach a photo on this site, however it is not required to use this site; or,

2. You can call 311 to report graffiti anywhere in the city.

We talk a lot about crime and statistics. Have you ever wondered what happens to the people who are arrested in your area?

Have you ever wondered what happens when someone accused of a crime goes to court? Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get punished more than others? Those are just a couple questions we could help you answer.

Attention Block Club Leaders and Community Partners:

We need your help. As you know the 2nd Precinct is starting to see an increase in vacant houses. These vacant homes have multiple negative effects on our neighborhoods including increased crime, lower property values, and livability issues.

KSTP-5 TV reports on a bust made a couple of weeks ago by our 2nd Precinct Community Response Team (CRT):

After four months of surveillance, police raided a home Wednesday night near the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus, seizing 200 marijuana plants, five guns, and more than $12,000 in cash, authorities told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Surprisingly, narcotics was not the most serious crime charged against the suspect. He already had several felony convictions, including assault. So his possession of firearms could lead to a multi-year prison sentence.

For those not familiar with all the parts of the police department, the CRT:

…uses a two pronged approach in responding to the concerns of citizens in the precinct.

The first approach is directed patrol which uses uniformed CRT officers to respond in the high crime areas of the precinct or areas that are experiencing specific problems. This gives a greater police presence in these areas, which helps prevent crime and increases the chances of catching criminals. This approach gives the precinct commander more flexibility in responding to crime trends in the precinct ranging from speeding cars, burglaries in a neighborhood, and drug dealing on a street corner, without affecting services to the community.

The second approach uses the expertise of the CRT Team’s "plain clothes"/undercover officers to respond to precinct drug problems. The approach can be very effective because officers work closely with the community receiving complaints about drug houses and drug dealing. The CRT Team also investigates street level prostitution, disorderly houses and illegal liquor and cigarette sales.

We welcome over 1200 new owners and managers of rental property to our Action Alert list since August of this year! This is a 25% increase since August and nearly double since the beginning of 2010. Due to the great numbers of new owners on the list, we are sending this note as a kind of "One-Stop Shop" list of routine items you may have questions about.

Two tales of crime from Jimmy’s Bar in the Holland neighborhood show the importance of being aware of your surroundings and always being vigilant:

First, a robbery:

Minneapolis police are investigating the reported theft of about $1,300 from a fundraising event over the weekend.

The money was taken outside of Jimmy's Bar in Minneapolis Saturday night. The victim was a 45-year-old Andover woman for whom the fundraiser was held, police said Sunday. The event was held to help her pay for medical bills from a recent stroke and surgery. The robbers apparently grabbed the woman's purse when she briefly went outside the bar.

Police Sgt. Jesse Garcia said it is not unusual for thieves to stake out such fundraisers in hopes of making off with some of the cash.

If you’re not sure if you are a potential victim, you are one.

July 27, 2010 (MINNEAPOLIS) This afternoon the Minneapolis Police Department announced that an arrest had been made in the homicide/ double shooting that occurred at the Old Colony Gas station last Sunday morning.

Here is a link to the annual summary of key criminal prosecution results for the City Attorney’s Office.

Document Link:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/attorney/docs/2009AnnualReport.pdf

It didn't get more than a blip on the news http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1637206.shtml?cat=1 but a man was mugged, shot, and robbed on my corner last Friday the 2nd.

The suspects are 4 black males and at least two were wearing something red.

The Minneapolis Police Department is offering a Citizens Academy this fall. This is a 10 week program which gives participants a view of the Minneapolis Police Department, the various units, and how the department units work together. Each class session is a three hour program on Wednesday evenings.

For more information go to:

It has been my experience that news of a sex crime (or sex offender) makes neighbors seethe more than any other act—even murder. Since there is such energy attached to these acts and these people, I refer readers to this post on Level III Sex Offenders from the excellent Minneapolis Crime Watch blog:

[T]here is now a Level III sex offender suing neighborhood activists for publicizing the information that is required to be disseminated every time a Level III sex offender moves into a neighborhood.

February 17, 2010 (Minneapolis) Shortly after 4 PM, police officers were called to 232 Cecil St SE for a man with a gun. Several construction workers were threatened by a neighbor, and later the neighbor came out of his home and fired a gun into the air. No one was hurt.

From the U.K. comes this story of pro-active crime prevention:

Officers have begun testing windows and doors at night as part of a campaign to increase home security.

If they find one open, they are under orders to knock on the door and drag sleepy residents from their beds and lecture them.

* There will be a Free Personal Safety Workshop on Saturday, February 20th at Northeast Middle School, 2929 Hayes St NE at 10:00 a.m. sponsored by the Minneapolis Police Department. Learn to recognize a possible attack in the making and what role distance awareness, body language, tone of voice, etc. can play.