Readers Write: Police response to domestic violence, Lake Street raid, trade

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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I was disappointed to read about the continued lack of effort on the part of Minneapolis police officers in responding to domestic assault cases (“‘Red alert’: Researchers say MPD fails to address domestic violence,” June 4). While results of a comprehensive study were made public almost two years ago, the researchers involved in that study were back before City Council on Tuesday, raising the exact same concerns.

Last year, two Burnsville police officers and a first responder died at the hands of a domestic abuser, demonstrating how these perpetrators are among the most dangerous offenders law enforcement will encounter. Often, guns and drugs are involved, exacerbating an already highly charged situation.

As a prosecutor specializing in domestic assault and homicide cases, I received training on “evidence-based” prosecution, where we worked closely with law enforcement to develop strong cases that could withstand the possibility of a victim recantation. Oftentimes, as a case winds its way through the criminal justice system, many opportunities present themselves for abusers to persuade victims to recant their initial allegations. This “persuasion” takes many forms, from a benign promise to behave better to continued threats of harm.

It is this specific dynamic that may be influencing patrol officers and investigators who are already overworked and engaged in a less-than-friendly relationship with prosecutors. The cases are labor-intensive and often require a sensitive approach, especially when children are witnesses. When — as the study revealed — about 70% of victims identified in Minneapolis police data from 2021 through 2023 were involved in a significant relationship with the offender, this statistic demonstrates the pervasive nature of domestic violence.

If we can then extrapolate that 70% of 911 calls in the city of Minneapolis are domestic in nature, officer safety concerns should not be ignored. Responding to such a call, especially if a weapon is alleged or the assault has already been committed, can put officers’ lives in danger, as we saw with the tragedy in Burnsville.

Law enforcement officers need to know that they have the support of the public as well as the prosecutors with whom they are tasked with responding to and investigating these cases. I am hopeful that Minneapolis, and the Police Department specifically, takes seriously the recommendations of the domestic violence working group. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, as well as the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office, also needs to prioritize these cases by providing sufficient resources for training in evidence-based prosecutions, as well as support for the victims of these tragic cases.

Debbie Russell, Clear Lake, Minn.

The writer is a retired assistant Hennepin County attorney.

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The Star Tribune sounded the alarm on Minneapolis’ domestic violence crisis but omitted the critical progress being made since the 2023 report, erasing the immense efforts of the domestic violence working group that presented immediately after the speaker featured so prominently in your story.

Ignoring the group’s efforts paints a dangerously false picture, one that suggests the city has done nothing, when, in fact, significant and ongoing reforms are taking place, driven by the very people the story dedicates only a small paragraph to at the end of the article.

This is not just bad journalism. It’s harmful. It demoralizes those working every day to protect victims and fix the system. It feeds the narrative that Minneapolis is sitting idle, which is not only untrue, it’s insulting to the professionals pouring their time and energy into making real change.

The pain and urgency expressed by victims’ families is real and absolutely valid. But to omit the presence and work of the reform team who’ve been laboring since the moment the report was released is to rob this city of hope, accuracy and accountability in equal measure.

If you’re going to issue red alerts, try reporting the full picture next time. Minneapolis doesn’t need more outrage theater. It needs honest coverage from the states largest newspaper.

Brandi Bennett, St. Paul

To the writer and others who agree with the sentiment of “Not the atmosphere we need” (Readers Write, June 5) you need a dose of reality. Going on high-threat-level search warrants or arrest details necessitates protective clothing. The external body armor we all see is there for a reason — to minimize injury. Over the years, protesters who exercise their First Amendment rights have gotten much more aggressive, as numerous videos clips portray. The act of “doxxing” is now commonplace, in reaction to which officers choose to protect their identity and that of their families. Further, a face covering affords some protection for the face and neck from thrown objects — either solid or liquid.

Unfortunately we live in a world where cops need to dress for the threat level and hope it is not needed. Be advised that your idyllic “deli cop” could very well have the same gear at the ready. So you can lose the Nazi comparison and understand that the world we live in can be a very violent place.

Joe Polunc, Waconia

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First off, thank goodness no one was killed or maimed on Lake Street during the military operation. Second, is there an adult in the room who can advise federal officials that launching a brazen invasion of armored trucks, in broad daylight, with masked men carrying military-style weapons into a neighborhood full of Latino folks who are understandably nervous about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities, is strategically and humanely a bad idea? No one wants drug dealers or traffickers to be immune from prosecution, and we will not abide federal law enforcement “showboating” their actions to intimidate our community.

Catherine Jordan, Minneapolis

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After Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Minneapolis police wouldn’t cooperate with ICE in January and that we’d continue to be a safe haven for immigrants in March, it’s strange to see Chief Brian O’Hara personally assisting with crowd control for a large Homeland Security Task Force with ICE and other federal agencies in the heart of a Latino community on June 3.

Despite the coordinated intelligence of numerous agencies, militarized armored vehicles, sealed federal warrants and the desire for many of the agents with assault rifles to carry out their official duties with masks, we’re told no arrests were made during their show of force near a restaurant on Lake Street.

Could the mayor or police chief please explain what they mean by “safe haven” and how exactly they’ll defend habeas corpus from the masked agents of an administration that has already deported citizens and defied court orders?

Cody Bourdot, Minneapolis

Let’s imagine that you have long-term next-door neighbors. They and you have a history of exchanging goods. Over the years, what you have bought from them has had more dollar value than what they have bought from you. They produce clothing in their extra room, and you produce a homemade granola that they like. In the meanwhile, your two households have teamed up to confront another neighbor down the block whose kid has been a bully in the neighborhood, but you think you’ve worked harder at it than they have. Your combined efforts have not been entirely successful.

One day, you add up the dollar difference between what you and the next-door neighbors have exchanged. They’ve been getting a lot more money than you have. You decide to stop the exchanges until they buy much more granola from you. But they can’t possibly consume all that granola. You both end up with less than what you really want.

Perhaps it’s not obvious at first, but those close neighbors lose a customer they need to be fully prosperous. Someday, they might not be able to loan you money when you want the best rate possible — or help you in some other way, assuming they would even want to.

If the above story has any resemblance to our country’s current relationship with the world, it is not just coincidence.

Jim Bartos, Maple Grove