MINNEAPOLIS -- Minneapolis saw only six homicides in the first half of 2009, a very big drop over 2008 and the lowest number that veteran police officers can recall.
By comparison, there were 18 murders in the city in the first half of 2008. As recently as 2006, there were 32 homicides in the first half of the year. It even compares favorably to St. Paul, which typically has a lower murder rate than Minneapolis but saw seven homicides so far in 2009.
Police and a researcher say the large decline in murders can be chalked up to a crackdown on gang activity the last two years. The department's Violent Offender Task Force has implemented mass arrests and indictments of gang members, allowing homicide investigators to spend more time on cold cases.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
