'It's a zoo out here, man': Teen girl killed after driver plows into crowd following late-night fight in downtown Minneapolis



A teenage girl was killed after a hit-and-run driver plowed into a crowd following an after-midnight fight involving multiple teens over the weekend in downtown Minneapolis — and business owners and residents are fed-up with the lawlessness, WCCO-TV reported.

Officers responded to a report of a hit-and-run crash on Fifth Street North at Hennepin Avenue around 12:23 a.m. Saturday, the station said, citing police, who said the female suspect drove in reverse on Hennepin and then drove the wrong way on Fifth Street into the crowd.

Chief O'Hara added to WCCO, presumably in reference to the involved teenagers, that 'I'm not their parent, right? So I can tell you my kid isn't gonna be hanging out on Hennepin Avenue at 12:30 at night in the middle of all this stuff going on here with bars.'

Six people were taken to Hennepin Healthcare, including a 16-year-old girl who later died, the station said, adding that another victim sustained life-threatening injuries while a handful of others suffered less serious injuries.

"The video of this incident is absolutely horrific," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said, according to WCCO. "There aren't words to describe how tragic and senseless it is."

The station interviewed residents and business owners who expressed outrage and frustration over what they call an out-of-control environment that plays out on a weekly basis.

"It's a nuthouse out here, man," one downtown resident told WCCO. "That's every weekend. I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner." The resident added to the station off camera that "it's a zoo out here, man, and it's not getting any better."

Daniel Stensgaard, a business owner, added to the station that city leaders "should have their asses down here starting at 11 o'clock at night and let them walk around and watch the shortage of police officers and what's happened."

Chief O'Hara added to WCCO, presumably in reference to the involved teenagers, that "I'm not their parent, right? So I can tell you my kid isn't gonna be hanging out on Hennepin Avenue at 12:30 at night in the middle of all this stuff going on here with bars."

The police report added that the suspect drove out of downtown but that witnesses followed her, the station said. Police noted that representatives from multiple law enforcement agencies stopped the suspect on the 2300 block of Bryant Avenue North and arrested her, after which she was booked into Hennepin County Jail, WCCO said, adding that charges are pending.

You can view a video report here about the incident, which includes interviews with concerned locals and business owners as well as a brief clip of the hit-and-run, which appears to end prior to the moment of impact.

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Facing officer shortage after the 'defund police' movement, New Orleans to dispatch civilians to crime scenes



Democrat Mayor LaToya Cantrell's New Orleans, now America's murder capital, not only faces skyrocketing crime rates but a dearth of police officers to bring the corresponding chaos under control.

As part of a new initiative aimed at bolstering the force and its crime-fighting response, the New Orleans Police Department will re-deploy officers to the streets who were previously working in administrative, specialty, and detective capacities. Extra to dispatching trained police and prompting previously rejected applicants to reapply, the NOPD will also be enrolling 50 to 75 civilians in support roles.

NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson indicated on September 22 that the new civilian employees will be tasked with monitoring phones and online reports; surveillance of certain events; issuing traffic citations; and doing investigative work.

Investigative work may include collecting evidence at crime scenes and responding to thefts.

"As we take calls over the phone," said Ferguson, "there may be some evidence that needs to be collected with that call. We'll have civilian investigators to go out and collect that evidence instead of an officer having to go out there."

In addition to putting civilians into the field, the NOPD will also assign ranking officers to patrol the streets at least once a week.

Michael Glasser, the president of the Police Association of New Orleans, told WWL-TV, "That's what has to happen for now at least, until we can hire more people, train more people and stop the attrition, so we stop shrinking."

LIVE: NOPD update on getting more officers on the streets youtu.be

In hopes of luring more talent into the NOPD, applicants' questionable pasts will now be glossed over and their futures prospectively sweetened.

Previous hiring criteria that may have prevented past applicants from being considered are being dropped. Applicants with noted drug histories and low credit scores will now be admissible.

Those who join the force as well as those who remain on it can expect pay raises, hiring or retention bonuses, and student loan assistance. Additionally, the city is advocating for the coverage of all health care costs for officers as well as for bringing back the take-home car policy.

The salary for recruit candidates starts at $40,391 and rises to $56,566 per year. Those with a bachelor's degree can qualify for a higher starting salary.

There are presently only 12 recruits.

Rising crime

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that New Orleans, which has the highest homicide rate of any major city in the country, sees 41 murders per 100,000 residents, a 44% increase over last year's figures and a 141% increase over the same period in 2019. The number of bodies is not the only figure that is high.

Carjackings are up 210% over 2019, with 218 committed so far this year. Armed robberies are up 25%. As of September 18, shootings were up 100%, with 343 reported.

\u201c#MCCCrimeBulletin as of 9.18.22\n3 homicides last week (includes juv. killed near elementary school in Pines Village)\nYTD Homicide: 208 \nYTD Shooting: 343\nYTD Carjacking: 218\nYTD Robbery: 397\n@WWLTV @wdsu @WGNOtv @FOX8NOLA @FixNOLA @WWLAMFM \n\ud83d\udc49https://t.co/0OKSYcnbKy\ud83d\udc48\u201d
— MetroCrimeNOLA (@MetroCrimeNOLA) 1663613714

According to Neighborhood Scout, the chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime in New Orleans is 1 in 74. The likelihood of becoming a victim of a property crime is 1 in 21.

Shortage of officers

New Orleans' epidemic of violent crime has been attributed, in part, to the fallout of the pandemic response, to low bails, and to the tack taken by Soros-backed Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams. However, Ronal Serpas, former New Orleans police superintendent, told the Wall Street Journal that the beleaguered NOPD's staffing difficulties have much to do with the "crisis of crime and ... crisis of confidence in this city."

Serpas noted that the force has at best 60% of the officers necessary to provide protection for the residents of New Orleans. With an average 911 response time of 2.5 hours, the "criminals are more bolder and more brazen. ... They do not believe they will face any consequences for their actions."

The NOPD currently has fewer than 950 commissioned officers.

Michael Glasser told "Fox & Friends" last summer that the force, then slightly bigger than at present, was severely lacking in manpower. He attributed the difficulty in attracting and retaining commissioned officers, in part, to "defunding efforts by city government" and "anti-police sentiment."

The New Orleans Crime Coalition released the results of its "Annual NOPD Citizen Perception Study" in June. Only 25% of respondents said that citywide, New Orleans is safe. That represents a 10-point drop from 2021. In 2020, 57% of residents answered they felt the city was safe.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who assumed office on May 7, 2018, and now faces a recall campaign, issued a release on Sunday, saying: "I am encouraged by the implementation of these additional patrols, in addition to many other game changing policy and procedural changes that are underway as we continue reimagining policing in New Orleans."

Police shortage: Cops retiring in droves, 'recruiting crisis,' applications 'historically low'



Following the "defund the police" movement and the "abolish the police" movement, constant negative coverage of law enforcement by the media, anti-police sentiment becoming mainstream, and the threat of riots have contributed to a police shortage across the country.

The Philadelphia Police Department currently has 268 vacancies and is expecting even more shortages in the near future.

"From Jan. 1 through Thursday, 79 Philadelphia officers have been accepted into the city's Deferred Retirement Option Program, meaning they intend to retire within four years, according to Mayor Jim Kenney's office," the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. "During the same time period last year, just 13 officers had been accepted into the program, the office said."

"It's the perfect storm. We are anticipating that the department is going to be understaffed by several hundred members, because hundreds of guys are either retiring or taking other jobs and leaving the department," Mike Neilon, spokesperson for the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police, told the newspaper.

Neighboring New Jersey is facing a "recruiting crisis," according to Pat Colligan, president of the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association.

Colligan said that recent notorious police-involved deaths of citizens such as George Floyd, Tamir Rice, and Breonna Taylor have impacted recruiting efforts.

"Every action has a reaction. When you vilify every police officer for every bad police officer's decision, [people] don't want to take this job anymore," Colligan, head of New Jersey's largest police union, said. "It's been a very trying and difficult time to put on the badge every day."

Colligan also said the "quality has really diminished in the last few years," which could mean more tragic police confrontations in the future.

Col. Patrick Callahan, the acting superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said the state's largest police agency received a "historically low" number of applications this year. In some years, the New Jersey State Police would usually receive between 15,000 to 20,000 applications – this year they only received 2,023 qualified applicants as of Thursday, according to NJ.com.

"The atmosphere with police work right now is people just don't want to apply," Robert Fox, president of the New Jersey State Fraternal Order of Police, said.

The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 said there were "recruitment and retention issues," which prompted the "topic of closing police district(s)."

"Our Patrol numbers are now below 700 officers which is about 300-400 below what is needed," the Baltimore FOP said, according to WBFF-TV. "This creates huge safety issues for our officers and for the citizens of Baltimore."

After facing a police shortage, Albany Police Chief Michael Persley said the department should offer more incentives to attract new recruits.

Officials also said that the pandemic has hurt police recruiting since new officer training was suspended.

"And you got to remember that once you go into the academy, it takes you about 10 months to finish. So, we're not looking at putting any boots on the ground until maybe next Spring," Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 President John McNesby told WPVI-TV.

Police shortage in Philadelphia developing into very real concern, FOP president says www.youtube.com