Downtown Minneapolis business owners ask for plan to combat crime

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Downtown business owners continue to ask the city for more help, as 2016 crime rates showed another increase over the previous year.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association held a forum Monday night with members of the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and YouthLink.

Numbers provided by the Minneapolis Police Department were shared in the meeting, showing 560 violent crimes in the Downtown West neighborhood in 2016, compared to 545 in 2015. Robbery and aggravated assault were the top crimes.

"It's obviously something we don't want to see and gives us caution and alarms us as a police department,” said Inspector Mike Sullivan, commander of the first precinct.

Downtown business owners have asked the city to come up with an action plan to combat the crime by April 1.

“There are two reasons for that deadline—Super Bowl and summer,” said Joe Tamburino, Chair of the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association .

In a presentation given by Tamburino, downtown business owners asked for an increase in visible police presence, more youth outreach, and additional cameras and lighting.