‘Pastors, people and police’ weigh approaches to curb gun violence in St. Paul
Good morning,
Welcome to November. A seasonably appropriate chill lingers in the air this morning. | |
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Minneapolis mayoral candidates (from left) Jacob Frey, Kate Knuth and Sheila Nezhad, photographed at separate campaign events in October. Tim Evans for MPR News
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By Jon Collins
Following more than a year of instability, including George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police and ensuing civil unrest, Minneapolis mayoral candidates are making their final pitches to city residents before Tuesday’s election.
At issue this election is not only who will lead Minneapolis, but also whether voters in the city that sparked a worldwide movement calling for police accountability will choose to drastically restructure public safety. Voters will decide whether to approve a ballot initiative to replace the city’s Police Department with a new Department of Public Safety or to keep the current structure in place.
Early voting has been underway for weeks, leading up to Election Day on Tuesday. There are 17 mayoral candidates on the Minneapolis ballot, from Nate “Honey Badger” Atkins of the Libertarian Party to Doug Nelson of the Socialist Workers Party. But three of the most active candidates in the DFL-dominated city are incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey, former state Rep. Kate Knuth and community organizer Sheila Nezhad. [Continue reading] | |
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Volunteer George Vaughn talks with St. Paul Police Cmdr. Kurt Hallstrom in a parking lot off of University Avenue in St. Paul on Oct. 25. Vaughn and other volunteers have been coming out in shifts to occupy so-called "hot spots" in the Twin Cities since the summer in an effort to prevent violence. Evan Frost | MPR News
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By Nina Moini
Even before the mass shooting at the Seventh Street Truck Park last month, the city of St. Paul was trying to contain rising gunfire and homicides.
Rev. Runney D. Patterson Sr. of New Hope Baptist Church was planning to spend three weeks over the summer focusing his outreach efforts on crime hot spots around the city.
Months later, Patterson said the work is not finished.
“We’ve built a great relationship with the community,” he said.
Patterson’s “ministry of presence” usually consists of volunteers and faith leaders working with one police officer to connect community members with mental health and house resources. [Continue reading] | |
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