Crime Prevention Taken Seriously in Minneapolis

According to statistics the crime rate has been falling steadily all over the nation since the 1990's. However, it is still a huge problem in some of the bigger cities across the nation. As population grows there are more problems to contend with. The fight against crime is a never ending battle and the law enforcement agencies and government officials have to be on their toes all the time or else lawlessness and social unrest will prevail.

With population currently hovering around 400,000, Minneapolis, Minnesota keeps its emergency services constantly busy with requests for aid and assistance. It has been estimated that over a 1,000 emergency calls are received and processed every day by the police, EMT and fire departments.

Budget constraints and the sheer volume of calls make it impossible to respond immediately to all such emergency calls. Hence the local administration officials are forced to impose a prioritization of all such emergency calls. Highest priority is given to all those calls dealing with life threatening situations. Subsequent priority is allotted to calls based on their severity level in a manner to ensure the best possible service within the given constraints.

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.

In a new initiative, the city of Minneapolis has adopted a plan called CODEFOR that ensures efficient distribution of the forces to ensure effective handling of the emergency situation, be it crime, fire or any such other event. The underlying principle is to achieve effectiveness in handling crime through proper prioritization of calls rather than spreading the forces thin.

CODEFOR is an anagram for Computer Optimized Deployment—Focus on Results. This is the new crime reduction program that involves all sections of the police force. It works on four basic ideas that include (a) to get exact and timely information on crime that is occurring, (b) to deploy personnel and resources in appropriate circumstances immediately, (c) to use effective tactics and (d) to follow-up and assess relentlessly.

Minneapolis is also using the "Watch Your Car" program to help reduce car theft. This is a voluntary program on the part of registered owners who must sign a release form stating that they are not normally driving their vehicle between 1-5 a.m. and therefore give police permission to pull their car over should it be seen on the road during these hours.

Participants get luminous stickers for their cars. If a vehicle with the sticker is seen between 1-5 a.m. the police will pull it over even if no crime has yet been witnessed. The citizens are happy to join this revolutionary program because it is showing great results.

Although no crime fighting initiative will ever be 100% effective, the Minneapolis police department is certainly trying its best to make the community as safe as possible for its citizens. People considering relocating to Minneapolis will be glad to know that the community is committed to fighting crime and making the city a safe place to live and work.

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Heather Woodbine is the owner and operator of F minneapolis, the best place on the internet for information about minneapolis. For more articles on minneapolis why not visit: www.yominneapolis.com/articles
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