Following recent elections in Minneapolis for all 13 City Council seats and for the Mayor, renewed debate over public safety in the city has been a point of discussion in the Star Tribune Opinion pages. It really ramped up following the carjacking of Council Member Jamal Osman last week.
Late last week, Star Tribune Opinion Editor, Phil Morris, penned a decent piece entitled, “When fear becomes the narrative Minneapolis can’t shake.” I felt the need to share my perspective, and the Star Tribune granted it space. The piece appeared in print and on-line beginning November 14th, and we have reprinted it below.
I enjoyed reading Morris’ recent column, “Fear is the narrative the city can’t shake,” and agree that supporting public safety is foundational to any hope of a successful resurgence in the city.
Where I take issue is the subtle suggestion that the perception of crime in Minneapolis is overblown and unjustifiably impeding the city’s ability to succeed. Morris suggests that the perception is something that “could simply be dismissed as outstate hyperbole” but for incidents like a Minneapolis City Council member being carjacked.
The facts are that despite some declines in violent crime from recent peaks in 2021-22, violent crime in Minneapolis remained 45% higher in 2024 than it had been in 2018. Furthermore, despite representing just 7% of the state’s population, Minneapolis represents 33% of the state’s total number of violent crimes, 45% of its murders, 56% of its robberies and 78% of its carjackings.
Perceptions are matched by the data, and by the observations and experiences of Minnesotans who are tired of being labeled as hyperbolic or unjustifiably fearful. They are neither. Instead, they have witnessed a city that is in obvious decline and are making the rational decision to limit their exposure unless or until things improve.
Improvement does not start, as Morris suggests, “with showing up, walking the streets we claim to love.” It starts when city leaders prioritize a properly staffed police force and encourage that force to be proactive. Only then will criminals be “dehorned,” and citizens emboldened to reclaim the city.
David Zimmer, Minnetonka
The writer is a public safety policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment.
