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Crime Prevention Taken Seriously in Minneapolis

By: Heather Woodbine

According to statistics the crime rate has been falling steadily all over the nation since the 1990's. However, it is still a huge problem in some of the bigger cities across the nation. As population grows there are more problems to contend with. The fight against crime is a never ending battle and the law enforcement agencies and government officials have to be on their toes all the time or else lawlessness and social unrest will prevail.

Minneapolis is located in Minnesota and has a population hovering just under 400,000. The emergency services in this major American city almost never stop fielding calls and requests for aid. On any given day, over 1,000 calls are received and processed for emergency services from the police, fire, or EMT departments.

Due to budget constraints and the sheer reality of the situation, it is not always possible to immediately respond to all calls made for emergency services. All calls involving life threatening problems are given first priority. The less severe calls for assistance are prioritized and processed in the most logical manner to ensure the best service possible.

It takes about an hour to assess the nature of the call and dispatch a cop during the busiest of times. Each incoming call is assessed and put into low priority only if (i) there is no immediate threat to life, (ii) the caller has no injuries, (iii) the caller is not a victim of ongoing criminal action, and (iv) the offender is not an immediate threat and is not expected to return.

In a new initiative, the city of Minneapolis has adopted a plan called CODEFOR that ensures efficient distribution of the forces to ensure effective handling of the emergency situation, be it crime, fire or any such other event. The underlying principle is to achieve effectiveness in handling crime through proper prioritization of calls rather than spreading the forces thin.

The acronym CODEFOR means Computer Optimized Deployment-Focus On Results. CODEFOR, which involves all sections of the police force, is driven by four basic principles viz. a. providing timely and accurate intelligence on an ongoing crime, b. rapidly deploying resources and personnel in appropriate circumstances, c. ensuring tactics that are effective and d. relentlessly following-up and assessing the situation.

In another Minneapolis initiative, a voluntary program called “Watch Your Car”, the participating citizens give a declaration to the police that their car is normally not used between 1 am and 5 am and therefore give the police permission to pull their car over if and when seen on the roads during this period.

Participants are given reflective stickers that can be seen by police late at night and if they spot any vehicles with the stickers during the 1-5 a.m. window, they have the right to pull it over despite the fact that no crime has yet been witnessed. It is a radical program but it is having great results and citizens seem pleased with the plan so far.

However, it is presumptuous to consider a crime fighting initiative will be 100% effective. But, the Minneapolis police department is certainly trying its best to make the community as safe as possible for its citizens. It is a great incentive for people considering relocating to Minneapolis as the community is committed to fighting crime to make the city safe to live.

Article Source: http://www.article-voip.com

Heather Woodbine is the webmaster for F minneapolis, the best place on the internet for information about minneapolis. For questions or comments about this article why not visit: www.yominneapolis.com/articles

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