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The glaring oversight indicates Chief Olson is not similarly concerned.
Activist Ron Edwards, host of cable show “Black Focus” comments,
“We’re not seen as being relevant.” Given the city’s history,
particularly in recent months, of complaints from minorities about racial
profiling, excessive force and brutality, relations with minority media
might’ve been a priority, not a matter of diligent follow-up by the
chief’s assistant. Especially since the press release announced, “Chief
Olson and other members of the Minneapolis Police Department will be on hand
to hear about what is and what is not working in regards to media relations
between our groups.” Considering that African American and Somali
immigrant communities increasingly express distrust in and disgust with the
MPD, shouldn’t Olson be pointedly interested in extending that invitation
to media venues specifically serving such communities? But, as Edwards said,
“If it hadn’t been for that brother [Sgt. Arradondo], none of us
would’ve been there. [He] caught it and realized no media of color had
been invited.” One Nation News publisher Jae Bryson reflects, “If
that’s indeed the case then that’s a priority that was missed and
hopefully it was rectified by Sgt. Arradondo. And I think that points to a
need to have diversity not only in the rank and file but in administration
as well.” One does well to hope Arradondo’s conscientiousness hasn’t
cut his throat at the MPD.
On the face of things, there wasn’t much for the minority media or anyone
else to miss out on. Lengthy ado was made about mechanism and protocol.
Covering such ground ranged from discerning how to obtain mug shots through
clarifying evening and weekend telephone communication to establishing that
an officer has the inviolable right to not be bothered at home by reporters
in general and WCCO-TV reporters in specific. Despite dull proceedings,
though, of interest to minorities was the announcement of the reinstitution
of HEALS, the federal, city and county initiative credited with dramatically
reducing the rate of homicides which in the mid 90’s caused Minneapolis to
be dubbed “Murderapolis.” “The real purpose of the conference”, says
Edwards, “was to let the mainstream media know war has been declared with
regard to the gang-drug problem. The purpose was to let the white folks
know, ‘Yeah, we’re going to deal with this violence in the
streets.’” A call into Police Information Officer Cindy Barrington to
ask Olson about Edwards’ take on the situation and why the minority media
originally weren’t invited was not returned.
Clearly there is a need for police action. As Olson points out, there were
as of mid June, 21 murders at least 17 of which are attributed to gang and
drug activity, including a North Minneapolis pedestrian recently shot in a
crossfire. “I’m particularly worried about the youth”, says Chief
Olson. We’ve got some of these gangsters that are out there in our parks,
trying to recruit kids to become [gang members]. We’re getting together
with the federal and county authorities to formulate a plan and reach out to
the community to speak with leaders about this issue and what we’re doing
to stem that.”
The timing of this initiative, however, along with police history of what is
perceived as selective law enforcement, raise the question of the police
chief’s motives and just how serious he is about faithfully serving the
communities most disastrously impacted by a thriving drug trade and related
violence.
Having dodged Mayor R. T. Rybak’s bullet—which missed because his honor
forgot to make sure the city council backed his attempt to fire the police
chief—Olson, via HEALS, can hold the mayor at bay for the foreseeable
future. In addition, can it just be conspicuous coincidence that the
conference was held as R. T. Rybak was on his way out of town on city
business? Rybak, having just been away at Madison, Wis., for a mayors
conference, was out of the immediate picture a full two weeks. Olson looked
pretty good, heralding the resurrected HEALS all alone in the spotlight
(front-page StarTribune coverage held not one quote from the mayor) and can
claim to singularly be on top of this high-profile issue.
As for that which can reasonably be construed as arbitrary allocation of
resources, one need only refer to the entrenched noman’s land between 3rd
and 11th Avenues along Franklin Avenue in South Minneapolis’ Phillips
neighborhood. In 1998, CODEFOR cleaned up the nearby incursion of nefarious
folk amid the upwardly mobile of 9th and Park Avenues as well as closing the
open-air bazaar of dealers and hookers at Chicago and 15th Avenues. But up
and down Franklin Avenue’s main drag, the law-abiding impoverished—poor
whites, Indians, Somalis, Hispanics and African Americans—see no relief
and subsist, languishing in the depository where the MPD apparently confines
and merely regulates the flow of illicit goings-on. CODEFOR, from January to
March, ran crime behind closed doors, after which all the homeboys and
girlies resurfaced for spring right along with the sparrows. While the area
has not returned to its original state of being completely out of control,
it remains a solid franchise for Detroit and Chicago gangs who accept this
apparent compromise, siphon money and keep law-abiding men, women and
children ensnared in a stereotypical, life-threatening ghetto-scape. For
Olson to put the taxpayers’ money where his mouth is that dangerous region
must be radically and permanently changed.
Ultimately, it seems Chief Olson and, through his auspices, the Minneapolis
Police Department, have yet to demonstrably respect either the minority
media or, for that matter, minorities themselves.
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