MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Police say the crimes being committed in Dinkytown are being committed by teens from all over the metro.
Police say 35 of the teens they made contact with within the last week in the area were from outside the metro, and only eight were city residents.
An impromptu safety meeting Tuesday night is how leaders in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood are responding to recent violent incidents in the area.
"This has gone beyond what we've seen in the past," said Vic Thorstenson, president of the Marcy Holmes Neighborhood Association.
From reports of gunshots to assaults in the last week, many who call the neighborhood home spent Tuesday evening flooding city leaders with questions, seeking answers to the chaos.
In the span of three nights, police made 10 arrests, while citing several others.
One of the biggest questions Tuesday night centered around repeat offenders.
"One juvenile was actually arrested all three nights," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.
And a lack of consequences.
"People aren't held in jail for minor offenses as they should not be, you know you should not be held in jail for 30 days on a trespass," said an Inspector with the Minneapolis Police Department. He went on to say, "I can assure you, if the officers get there, we have good information, good evidence, solid evidence that we can give to attorneys like Mike, they're not afraid to take these things to court and have people held accountable. Those things do not happen fast, if they did, they would not be fair or equitable," he said.
Concerns and questions neighbors say can only be get addressed by starting conversations and meetings like these.
"What we can do to stop the immediate problem and then build for the future about safety in this community," said Thorstenson.
"Everyone is working towards the same goal of safety, we're trying to do our jobs, the U of M, phenomenal police department, men and women doing their job but these things do take time," said the Inspector.
Minneapolis police say you can expect to see an increased law enforcement presence in Dinkytown this coming weekend with police working overtime, with help from state troopers.
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