Today's Star Tribune reported that CMs Cam Gordon and Blong Yang will be
presenting ordinances to remove public spitting and "lurking" from our list
of minor criminal offenses. And maybe other minor crimes. Here's the piece:
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/296152471.html.
The reason seems to be that our police department "targets" young black
males for spitting and "lurking" and other minor offenses, and thus both
harasses them and maybe begins their having criminal records. Our police
apparently also "target" young black males for gathering in loud/noisy
groups outside homes (this is something else than "lurking" and more like
disturbing the peace), being out after curfew, and other minor crimes that
groups like Black Lives Matter are advocating be eliminated as criminal
behaviors.
Something bothers me about this, though: We are to eliminate minor crimes
as crimes in Minneapolis, because--it is claimed--in Minneapolis mostly
young black males are cited for committing them.
So, we will permit public spitting. It's primarily a male habit (excuse me,
guys! but I don't remember seeing a woman spit in public), not limited to
blacks. Apparently, though, only black males are "targeted" by police for
public spitting? It's a very ugly, unsanitary habit. I have a lot of
trouble saying we should make it legal.
Same with standing around in groups, without any ostensible purpose, in
front of somebody's house or business or bus stop. That's what I think the
"lurking" ordinance complaints are really addressing, not "lying in wait"
or "concealed with intent to commit [a] crime or unlawful act," which
should still be illegal. An organizer for Black Lives Matter was irritated
that he and his friends were reported to police for such a gathering
outside a house, he says by a white person (he really doesn't know that,
for a fact). He thinks that never would happen to white groups (he's wrong;
I myself have frequently reported white groups doing that to 911), and he
thinks he and his friends should be able to disturb the peace and not have
to talk to police about it.
If that kind of behavior is de-criminalized, my neighborhood will have no
recourse when loud groups of young white males carrying and drinking booze
at my neighbor's front stoop decide to just stay there, on public property,
impeding anyone passing by and making a lot of noise. They did that one
night last fall, but the white guys involved did move away when I called
out and threatened to call the police on their illegal gathering to "hang
out."
Then, there was the twelve-year-old black youth down the block who last
summer had the habit of bouncing his basketball in the middle of the
street, in the middle of the night, as he headed alone to the b-courts at
Van Cleve Park. At 2 and 3 a.m., he was definitely breaking curfew, and
being loud about it. The article implies that, because lots of young black
kids have parents who allow them to ignore curfews and thus may have
run-ins with police, we should de-criminalize young kids staying out late
at night.
Isn't there some other way, or ways, to address the issue of possible
police targeting black youths unfairly, than removing crimes from our
ordinances?
Connie Sullivan
Como, in Southeast Minneapolis
presenting ordinances to remove public spitting and "lurking" from our list
of minor criminal offenses. And maybe other minor crimes. Here's the piece:
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/296152471.html.
The reason seems to be that our police department "targets" young black
males for spitting and "lurking" and other minor offenses, and thus both
harasses them and maybe begins their having criminal records. Our police
apparently also "target" young black males for gathering in loud/noisy
groups outside homes (this is something else than "lurking" and more like
disturbing the peace), being out after curfew, and other minor crimes that
groups like Black Lives Matter are advocating be eliminated as criminal
behaviors.
Something bothers me about this, though: We are to eliminate minor crimes
as crimes in Minneapolis, because--it is claimed--in Minneapolis mostly
young black males are cited for committing them.
So, we will permit public spitting. It's primarily a male habit (excuse me,
guys! but I don't remember seeing a woman spit in public), not limited to
blacks. Apparently, though, only black males are "targeted" by police for
public spitting? It's a very ugly, unsanitary habit. I have a lot of
trouble saying we should make it legal.
Same with standing around in groups, without any ostensible purpose, in
front of somebody's house or business or bus stop. That's what I think the
"lurking" ordinance complaints are really addressing, not "lying in wait"
or "concealed with intent to commit [a] crime or unlawful act," which
should still be illegal. An organizer for Black Lives Matter was irritated
that he and his friends were reported to police for such a gathering
outside a house, he says by a white person (he really doesn't know that,
for a fact). He thinks that never would happen to white groups (he's wrong;
I myself have frequently reported white groups doing that to 911), and he
thinks he and his friends should be able to disturb the peace and not have
to talk to police about it.
If that kind of behavior is de-criminalized, my neighborhood will have no
recourse when loud groups of young white males carrying and drinking booze
at my neighbor's front stoop decide to just stay there, on public property,
impeding anyone passing by and making a lot of noise. They did that one
night last fall, but the white guys involved did move away when I called
out and threatened to call the police on their illegal gathering to "hang
out."
Then, there was the twelve-year-old black youth down the block who last
summer had the habit of bouncing his basketball in the middle of the
street, in the middle of the night, as he headed alone to the b-courts at
Van Cleve Park. At 2 and 3 a.m., he was definitely breaking curfew, and
being loud about it. The article implies that, because lots of young black
kids have parents who allow them to ignore curfews and thus may have
run-ins with police, we should de-criminalize young kids staying out late
at night.
Isn't there some other way, or ways, to address the issue of possible
police targeting black youths unfairly, than removing crimes from our
ordinances?
Connie Sullivan
Como, in Southeast Minneapolis
