There is something odd happening with reporting of crime in Minneapolis these days. First, almost every reporter relays MPDâs statements as fact, even as they have all seen as recently as in their original recounting of Floydâs murder, that MPD has a problem with the truth.
For example, take this from @WCCO (the station, btw, that employs Bob Krollâs wife Liz Collins as a reporter and whose national network (coincidentally, Iâm sure!) landed the only interview with that police union head. https://www.google.com/amp/s/minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/06/22/its-just-stupid-police-data-shows-1600-minneapolis-gunfire-reports-within-30-days/amp/">https://www.google.com/amp/s/min...
WCCO, like others, report on crime as if it were somehow being caused by recent efforts to reimagine community safety in Minneapolis. But wait, MPD hasnât been defunded or reimagined yet. If something is failing itâs the department in its current form.
Isnât this actually evidence that a department that canât keep itself from harming and killing black people *also* isnât good at preventing crime? But letâs look further:
A resident saying that 911 told them theyâre on their own and donât âbecause they donât have people to come helpâ seems like something worth pursuing. Are MPD officers engaged in a work slowdown in order to try to make the point theyâre indispensable?
And what about those âbottles and rocksâ being thrown at responders? This has been repeated over and over by local media. Iâm not saying it hasnât happened, but in this day and age thereâs no video of this? Body cam footage?
Wouldnât reporters normally show a healthy skepticism from a source known to lie and who clearly have a motive to promote themselves as indispensable right now? Shouldnât the press be trying not to simply become agents of propaganda?
More cops do not *prevent* crime. Uptown was apparently swarming with cops last weekend and, even with 24 hours notice, they seemed unable to prevent the shootings there https://wedgelive.com/2020/06/minneapolis-police-with-24-hours-to-prepare-fail-to-stop-gunfight.html">https://wedgelive.com/2020/06/m...
Another egregious example of how local media should not just take MPDâs word about events & actually investigate themselves. It turns out MPD was completelty wrong when they announced this man died as a result of the shooting in Uptown. He was downtown. https://www.startribune.com/police-weekend-homicide-victim-was-shot-downtown-not-during-uptown-gunfire/571446402/">https://www.startribune.com/police-we...