[Mpls] Response to Scott Johnson/Weekly Standard

[David Brauer]

A work in progress; I'd appreciate list members' comments, to the =20
forum (if appropriate) or to me directly.

--

In his article, =93Return to Murderapolis,=94 Scott Johnson laments the =20=

=93destructive effects of one-party liberal rule=94 to explain the =
city=92s =20
2005 murder rate.

However, Johnson conveniently omits the culpability of a second =20
party: the state GOP, which in 2003 and 2004 pushed through a $24 =20
million state-aid to Minneapolis=92s general fund. That buys a whole =20
lot of cops.

I know burden-sharing is unpopular in some circles, but the state =20
sliced 10 percent off the city=92s general fund, three-quarters of =20
which pays for the basics: police, fire and roads. Swallowing such a =20
cut while confronting rising health-care costs (a problem not unique =20
to Minneapolis City Hall) could only result in fewer boots on the =20
street.

Other crimes of omission:

Johnson cites two =93high-profile=94 2002 murders to =93suggest gangs =
had =20
retaken the streets and that Murderapolis had returned.=94

Uh-oh. Murders rose from 43 in 2001 to 46 in 2002 =97 and then fell to =20=

44 in 2003, the second-lowest year since the 1995 peak. Even last =20
year's 54 were fewer than the 58 in 1998, after the =93Giuliani=94 =20
reforms Johnson credits for a =93virtually immediate=94 Minneapolis =
crime =20
drop. Logicians should beware anecdotal =93suggestions=94 in place of =
data.

While Johnson laments the =93deterioration=94 in city crime-fighting =20
between 2000 and 2005, Minneapolis Part I crimes =97 the most serious, =20=

driven by citizen reports, not police =97 fell EVERY YEAR from 1997 to =20=

2003, rising by five incidents in 2004. Such a crime wave! Even the =20
2004 number is a stunning 40 percent below 1997, and 19 percent below =20=

1999, Johnson=92s last =93pre-deterioration=94 year.

Aggravated assault numbers might rise this year =97 from a decimated =20
base. In, 2004, there were 2,026 agg-assault reports =97 10 percent =20
fewer than 1999 (2,387) and 15 percent below 1998 (2,691).

The rise in murder and aggravated assaults in the past several months =20=

is real and worrisome =97 but the =93trend=94 is so short term as to =
defy =20
Johnson=92s pat analysis. Aside from statistical anomaly, a reasonable =20=

person could identify many causes besides alleged liberal turpitude: =20
a continuingly sluggish economy (is it only Bush who gets off blaming =20=

the =93triple whammy?=94), more felons getting out of jail (in a state =20=

with no Democratic governor since 1990), or, as police say, the =20
emergence of a new, younger gang member requiring time to remove.

And besides, blaming =93lakeshore liberals=94 smacks of class warfare, =20=

which no conservative supports, right?

Much of Johnson=92s case rests on the claim that a 2000 racial =20
disparity study reduced enforcement. But while traffic stops fell, =20
suspicious vehicle stops rose =97 probably a better way to find =
criminals.

The article contains other crimes against intellectual honesty.

Johnson writes that Downtown businesses that sought police help this =20
spring were told to hire private security guards. He provides no =20
source or link. However, downtown Minneapolis=92s Skyway News (which I =20=

edit) reported that police told businesspeople they wanted to work =20
more closely with Downtown=92s private security guards to cost-=20
effectively extend public safety. It=92s called a public-private =20
partnership, and Johnson would applaud it in other circumstances if =20
he didn=92t have an ideological axe to grind.

By the way, about the =93Murderapolis=94 headline: Johnson credits it to =
=20
the New York Times, but it was actually coined by a local gun dealer. =20=

Call that offense a misdemeanor.

--

David Brauer
Kingfield
Editor, Skyway News and Southwest Journal=