Is There Traffic Enforcement In The Twin Cities?

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
If the citizen’s of Minneapolis don’t want to stand up in support of the police officers who risk their lives protecting them, I hope they do defund the police Department. Better yet do away with it all together. The police officers can then move onto a different city where they are appreciated or to another profession where they are. Home values in the Minneapolis area will fall to almost nothing and the good citizens will flee the city like Rats from a burning building. I think the whole defunding of Police should be put to a vote. I really don’t think many people who live there are in favor of it. In fact I believe the majority of them are in favor of a increased police budget. Its only a small percentage who are. Unfortunately its this small percentage who the leaders of that once great city are listening to. I say if a vote is in Favor of it – Go ahead and do it.

I think this is EXTREMELY short sighted. The suburbs and outstate need a thriving Minneapolis to be the economic engine of the state like it has always been, and Minneapolis needs the suburbs and outstate residents to feel welcome in the city to make it the thriving city it was a short time ago. Hoping MSP defunds the police and destroys itself further will have untold negative consequences for all of us regardless of where in MN we call home.

Then maybe outstate and suburbs should have more of a say in the politics of Mpls and how state money is spent within the city?

Matt Moen wrote:

The ignorance of what is happening in the city by some on this thread is frustrating. The same folks that call out the media as puppets for the liberals are the ones getting their info from said media. I know some of you work in and commute through the city but I’ve lived in the city for over 20 years. What has happened in the last 18 months has only strengthened my resolve to stay here and ensure the city remains a safe and vibrant place to live.

I’ll invite any of you to come down to my place in South Mpls and have a beer in my backyard. I might even take you out on the river and show you my urban walleye fishing is better than anything you have. I think you’ll find most of us “citiots” aren’t very different from the folks who choose to live rural.

If the city isn’t your cup of tea that’s fine….but don’t make blanket statements that we’re in a tailspin or it’s not safe to walk on the streets. It wasn’t true in the past and isn’t true now.

We need more cops….no doubt about that. Criminals seem emboldened in certain parts of the city. Unfortunately those are the same place that have always had crime problems. But, you’re now seeing even the liberal former politicians take a stand and it’s beginning to work. The current city council members aren’t going to last because they are allowing the vocal minority, most who have no vested interest in the city, drive their politics.

It’s extremely frustrating to see these threads devolve into a city versus rural thing. There are good and bad with both but don’t crap on my hometown because I wouldn’t do the same to yours.

Sorry dude, but you’ve got your head in the sand..

Well said Matt. I think many who have negatively commented on the city on this thread have had the same opinion about the city for the last 5, 10, 20 years….

But what would IDO be without a liberal/city bashing pitchfork thread every month or so.

folke2000 wrote:

Then maybe outstate and suburbs should have more of a say in the politics of Mpls and how state money is spent within the city?

X2

Matt Moen wrote:

If the city isn’t your cup of tea that’s fine….but don’t make blanket statements that we’re in a tailspin or it’s not safe to walk on the streets. It wasn’t true in the past and isn’t true now.

We need more cops….no doubt about that. Criminals seem emboldened in certain parts of the city. Unfortunately those are the same place that have always had crime problems. But, you’re now seeing even the liberal former politicians take a stand and it’s beginning to work. The current city council members aren’t going to last because they are allowing the vocal minority, most who have no vested interest in the city, drive their politics.

It’s extremely frustrating to see these threads devolve into a city versus rural thing. There are good and bad with both but don’t crap on my hometown because I wouldn’t do the same to yours.

Matt – Just a few questions about your post:

1. Do you really believe its safe to walk the streets in most of Minneapolis and that its no different now than say it was 5-10 years ago??? Would you feel comfortable letting your Wife, daughter, sister, ect walk alone after dark??? Do you leave your car and home doors unlocked when you are gone???
2. Do you not believe that the high crime areas have spread to much larger areas than they were 5-10 years ago????
3. Do you really believe that anything will be different after the next elections. The same people who voted in the current leaders of your fine city are the same ones who will be voting the next elections

You are right. It is not a city Vs Rural issue. Its a issue of what has happened to a once good if not Great city over the last 2-3 years.

Just so we are clear. I lived in the Metro area for over 20+ years ( as long as you have ) I can clearly say things are far different and worse now than they were 5-10 years ago.

Yes things are different and probably even worse everywhere these days – Its just FAR worse in Minneapolis.

Matt Moen wrote:

The ignorance of what is happening in the city by some on this thread is frustrating.

If the city isn’t your cup of tea that’s fine….but don’t make blanket statements that we’re in a tailspin or it’s not safe to walk on the streets. It wasn’t true in the past and isn’t true now.

In my opinion a city with a 100%+ increase in murders in the last year is not a safe place to walk in the streets.
Saying it’s only in certain areas is delusional. That’s like saying that you are safe in the lion enclosure at the zoo, as long as you stay away from the lions.

Agreed 100% Matt!

fishthumper wrote:

1. Do you really believe its safe to walk the streets in most of Minneapolis and that its no different now than say it was 5-10 years ago??? Would you feel comfortable letting your Wife, daughter, sister, ect walk alone after dark??? Do you leave your car and home doors unlocked when you are gone???
2. Do you not believe that the high crime areas have spread to much larger areas than they were 5-10 years ago????
3. Do you really believe that anything will be different after the next elections. The same people who voted in the current leaders of your fine city are the same ones who will be voting the next elections

Thumper tell us about your time in MSP recently, how often are you there, what negative experiences have you had, etc.? I play softball in MSP every week with games ending at 10:30 pm, and go into the city a few times a month on top of that, and Matt is 100% right in my experience. My wife gets her hair done a few blocks from 38th and Chicago, often at night, by herself and has never had an issue nor am I more worried about her having one now than anytime the last 7 years we’ve been together.

I also grew up in Sartell, where you live now, and we didn’t lock our doors, until we got robbed in the late 90’s. Not locking your doors is more indicative of you being overly trusting, than a reflection of the safety of your area, leave them unlocked and eventually a bad actor will find it and help themself.

I don’t think the bad areas are expanding much, but the frequency of bad things happening in those areas is increasing. I do think there will be significant changes in the city council after the next election. I don’t think there will be a change for the better in the mayoral race however, based off of who is challenging the incompetent Mayor Frey.

All of that said, that doesn’t mean MSP is without significant issues. MSP needs a stronger, and more supported police force. And while they may never move entirely away from the progressive politics that got them here, there will likely be a move back to center. And yes the outstate can influence MSP by electing a better Governor and State Reps who absolutely can influence the MSP Mayor and Council. And all of us better hope things improve, and quickly, in MSP or the negative consequences will resonate around the state.

Since I didn’t read though all of this, could someone tell me if it’s a political thread?

I live in rural Minnesota. The metro area has glaring issues that have been hammered home here that I mostly agree with.

However, rural Minnesota has issues too. Our public schools attendance rate in a middle class rural area is at an all-time statistical low. Drugs are an issue literally everywhere in the state. The opioid/pill issues may actually be more prominent outside of the urban areas, they just look different and cost more in suburbia. Mental health issues are clearly on the rise everywhere.

Society as a whole has changed regardless of where people live. There are many more extreme behaviors that have followed with increase in technology and media of all forms, the erosion of traditional families, etc, etc.

With all of that said, in my most biased mindset… I’ll take Minnesota/Wisconsin as a state to recreate and live in over urban areas of the East, the flat boring of Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, the extreme heat and changing climate of the West and Southwest, the tourism chaos of anywhere on the coast, and so on.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Since I didn’t read though all of this, could someone tell me if it’s a political thread?

It’s a reality thread……….so about as far from politics as you can get.

@fishthumper

Bigwerm summed things up well but let me respond to the voting part….because it’s my biggest concern. I believe (but can only do so based upon feedback from friends and neighbors) we will see a much larger turnout this election. I believe most residents of the city want more policing and do not agree with the current politics. The folks with those views (I include myself in that group) have been fed up with city politics for a long time but haven’t really acted…..we have created some of these issues because of our own apathy. The unrest last year changed that mindset with many I know. However, if that doesn’t happen and the same city council stays in place that will be troubling for the future of the city.

Dutchboy wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Brian Klawitter wrote:</div>
Since I didn’t read though all of this, could someone tell me if it’s a political thread?

It’s a reality thread……….so about as far from politics as you can get.

It’s pretty much a city vs country thread…..I say we carry on since it’s still civil.

Now, if bass guys start coming on here proclaiming they are better than walleye fisherman we need to shut it down.

Matt / BigWerm

If you both feel comfortable and safe living and visiting Minneapolis them Good for you. I know a fair amount of friends and Family members who no longer do and have or soon will be moving out of the area. Several of them live in condo’s in downtown minneapolis and say the things that originally attracted them to the area are no longer there at all or they don’t feel safe going to them. As far as rural area helping with a different Governor, if you look at the results of the last election I think you will find they did about as well as possible in regards to that. Major metro area are now controlling election outcomes simple based on the # of overall voters located in those area
https://www.politico.com/election-results/2018/minnesota/governor/

Matt Moen wrote:

@fishthumper

Bigwerm summed things up well but let me respond to the voting part….because it’s my biggest concern. I believe (but can only do so based upon feedback from friends and neighbors) we will see a much larger turnout this election. I believe most residents of the city want more policing and do not agree with the current politics. The folks with those views (I include myself in that group) have been fed up with city politics for a long time but haven’t really acted…..we have created some of these issues because of our own apathy. The unrest last year changed that mindset with many I know. However, if that doesn’t happen and the same city council stays in place that will be troubling for the future of the city.

Matt. I sure hope you are right. I’ve also said people need to make their voice heard and the best way to do that is by voting. That’s why better voting laws and control need to be put in place. Citizens need to feel like their vote matters and that the results of elections are fair and correct. If you read my past reply’s I’ve said I think the matter of policing needs to be address by the people not the politicians.

fishthumper wrote:

If you both feel comfortable and safe living and visiting Minneapolis them Good for you. I know a fair amount of friends and Family members who no longer due

I hear that a lot and it’s usually from people who don’t go into MSP often anyway. That’s why I asked when the last time you went into MSP was? And how often you go to MSP? Or what statistics you are basing your opinion on? If all you have are anecdotal 5th hand stories from your friends sisters cousins boyfriend, well I can let you borrow my 3 year olds Chicken Little book…

BigWerm wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
If you both feel comfortable and safe living and visiting Minneapolis them Good for you. I know a fair amount of friends and Family members who no longer due

I hear that a lot and it’s usually from people who don’t go into MSP often anyway. That’s why I asked when the last time you went into MSP was? And how often you go to MSP? Or what statistics you are basing your opinion on? If all you have are anecdotal 5th hand stories from your friends sisters cousins boyfriend, well I can let you borrow my 3 year olds Chicken Little book…

Well I have no desire or reason to go into Downtown Minneapolis and nothing but the word of Family and Friends ( which I trust as much or more than yours ) to go by. Can you please get me that chicken little book. By the way. What Part of Minneapolis is it that you live in by the way ?

I grew up in the TC metro, then lived in Denver for a few years and now live in Bismarck, ND. The amount of police officers here vs anywhere else I have lived is amazing. I see a squad car just about every time I drive somewhere in town.
Our streets are clean and we have felt very safe here.

crappie55369 wrote:

Well said Matt. I think many who have negatively commented on the city on this thread have had the same opinion about the city for the last 5, 10, 20 years….

But what would IDO be without a liberal/city bashing pitchfork thread every month or so.

You live in mound correct, or in mpls ? Everything I have said is 100 percent truth . I also have held a ton back. And yes I agree there are still decent neighborhoods, but it’s being over run with the bad these days.
Go spend some time in uptown for a little while especially after dark.

I lived in south mpls for 2+ years near Abbott Northwestern Hospital in a town house with 3 friends when I started a new job down town. During that time, we got robbed once and someone rear ended my truck while I was parked on the road one night. So my brief personal experience living there left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, even though it was a relatively small sample size. I still have an office downtown but I now live in a western suburb and its safe to say I will continue to do that for the foreseeable future.

Violent crime and overall crime is worse in Mpls and St Paul and a couple other suburbs like BP or BC lately. I don’t think anyone would deny that solely based on what has happened there the last 18 months. However, as some have mentioned, rural areas have pretty obvious problems too like drug usage. Something that also has yet to be mentioned here is the lack of health care in rural areas. Where do all the people end up when they need health care? The city of course because that is where the health care is right now. I would rank the public education of the affluent western suburbs up against any rural school district in the state too. Minnetonka, Edina, Wayzata, and Eden Prairie routinely rank as high as anyone. Mpls and St Paul public schools? Not so much.

gimruis wrote:

I lived in south mpls for 2+ years near Abbott Northwestern Hospital in a town house with 3 friends when I started a new job down town. During that time, we got robbed once and someone rear ended my truck while I was parked on the road one night. So my brief personal experience living there left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, even though it was a relatively small sample size. I still have an office downtown but I now live in a western suburb and its safe to say I will continue to do that for the foreseeable future.

Violent crime and overall crime is worse in Mpls and St Paul and a couple other suburbs like BP or BC lately. I don’t think anyone would deny that solely based on what has happened there the last 18 months. However, as some have mentioned, rural areas have pretty obvious problems too like drug usage. Something that also has yet to be mentioned here is the lack of health care in rural areas. Where do all the people end up when they need health care? The city of course because that is where the health care is right now. I would rank the public education of the affluent western suburbs up against any rural school district in the state too. Minnetonka, Edina, Wayzata, and Eden Prairie routinely rank as high as anyone. Mpls and St Paul public schools? Not so much.

We go to the brand new clinic in North branch, before that it was the old clinic in north branch, hospital wise we go to Wyoming mn.
As far as schools go, obviously the wealthy areas are going to dominate. And for the towns you mentioned thats about as wealthy as you can get. I would imagine there school districts would be a little more top notch then say pine city. I also bet if all the less wealthy people moved to towns they would be pretty upset

Bearcat89 wrote:

As far as schools go, obviously the wealthy areas are going to dominate. And for the towns you mentioned thats about as wealthy as you can get. I would imagine there school districts would be a little more top notch then say pine city.

You’re right I chose poor examples in that regard when comparing education to rural areas.

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crappie55369 wrote:</div>
Well said Matt. I think many who have negatively commented on the city on this thread have had the same opinion about the city for the last 5, 10, 20 years….

But what would IDO be without a liberal/city bashing pitchfork thread every month or so.

You live in mound correct, or in mpls ? Everything I have said is 100 percent truth . I also have held a ton back. And yes I agree there are still decent neighborhoods, but it’s being over run with the bad these days.
Go spend some time in uptown for a little while especially after dark.

I don’t know if you think im calling you out specifically or not but my comments are not specifically about what you have said. I don’t currently live in MPLS but used to for 5 years. Lived for many years about 2 blocks from where Floyd was killed. Spent a lot of time literally walking the streets after dark talking and meeting strangers. One personal project i worked on in the past was to collect stories from homeless people and get to know their side of life. I had the idea to publish a book of stories from the streets. Uptown was posh compared to my old neighborhood. Maybe Uptown is more dangerous than 38th and 5th now but i doubt it. Never a scratch on me. Still have a lot of friends who live in MPLS and surprisingly they are all still alive.

I think the people who hate MPLS & the ways of the city have always hated it and the reasons don’t have much at all to do with either real world experience or the last 18 months. That’s my OPINION based off of reading threads just like this that pop up about once a month on this site for the last 10 years.

Why is it anytime I watch a movie, the stressed out city folks looking for solitude in rural America, always run into crazy drugged up murderers when going on vacation?…

Lots of friends leaving downtown who have found it “not to their liking” anymore. Crime and safety their top concerns. Their words not mine.
Politics and police and a minority voice getting listened to in mpls city council needs to change – way off base IMHO
Education – just resigned after 34 years – not retired -resigned. As an administrator. I can tell you firsthand experiences from any of the school districts – you are fooling yourselves if you think any of them are top notch. Many try but there are FAR too many variables to lump them all together. Funding structures are a joke. Until superintendents, school boards and the politicians realize that a school, in the final analysis, is a business, they will continue to suck money and their product will continue to erode, that is just the fact. Until they “live within their limits” they will still operate deficit budgets.
You heard it here first. In 2024 when the new “free” money from the state and feds dries up districts will be crying to increase levies to sustain the new programs and staff they are adding because they “can” not because they “need” to. They are hiring and building unsustainable programming right now In the name of “what’s best for students” because of COVID.
You don’t need to believe me, i have watched it from the inside for long enough. Education reform is vital but will ever happen while the teacher unions exist. And YES there are MANY fine, fine teachers working in the field, I am not railing on them ( they too are being driven by a small minority from within)union leaders and admin and school boards are the bane of my existence.

Whether it’s perceived safety or actual safety doesn’t really matter. People will believe what they believe.

Now, if bass guys start coming on here proclaiming they are better than <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye fisherman we need to shut it down.
[/quote]

I thought I felt my nose itching…..

I think there is validity to just about everything people have said in this thread (other than the leaving doors unlocked argument, which hasn’t been valid since the 60s). However each aspect has been blown so far out of proportion by media on both sides everyone is at odds with each other. The city council certainly doesn’t help. But even they seem to be getting fed up with the pressure the defund the police crowd is putting on them and how it’s affecting the safety of their communities.

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/crime/psychologist-minneapolis-dismemberment-case-shows-signs-of-rage-killing-dehumanizing-victim/89-16597361-4916-4279-85a1-ce03272d77f6 .. yea it’s a really safe place to live I’m sure

Linking that article and stating MPLS isn’t safe isn’t comparative nor relevant. I’ll go find an article about violent crime in a rural area and say “told ya so….starting locking your doors cuz it’s not safe to live in the country.”

Back to B-Man’s original question….I have seen quite a bit of increased enforcement the last couple of weeks, particularily on 35W coming south out of downtown to the 494 area. With the construction ending at 46th St it turns into the autobahn as 35W widens to 4 lanes. Saw a couple cars pulled over at crosstown this morning. Small sample, but a sample nonetheless.

I think the Highway patrol makes a effort not to pull people over during the rush hours. The gawker back-ups likely cause more accidents then the speeders.

I always laugh when people hit the breaks because they see a squad on the other side with their lights on. Why slow down? The guy is obviously busy writing a ticket.

Matt Moen wrote:

linking that article and stating MPLS isn’t safe isn’t comparative nor relevant.

I think this article speake volumes:

http://www.fox9.com/news/2021-uptown-art-fair-canceled-due-to-unanticipated-challenges

“You know, almost consistent fires, vandalism, looting,” said Taylor. “Just last night, we had people trying to set fire to a neighborhood restaurant, and closed down Lake and Lagoon again at 3 a.m.”

I live in St Paul, work in downtown. In the office every day during the shut down. I can tell you I personally do not feel real safe. There is little to zero quality of life crime enforcement down here. Stuff like public urination, open air drug use, aggressive pan handling, smoking in the skyways, vandalizm, littering, drinking the list goes on. None of my co-workers will ride light rail. It has turned into a public funded flop house.

I roll into DT every day to trash cans turned over or set on fire. Junkies passed out on the sidewalk, smashed windows on street level businesses, parked cars and bus stops. Downtown is a freaking poop hole right now.

NOTHING is being done to turn this around at the present time. Nothing!!!

-J.