A Look At Gun Violence In Mpls. & The Community's Response

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Gun violence in Minneapolis has many who live in the line of fire speaking out.

Residents say it's time to take back the streets, and some say it begins at home.

"You can't police your community if you don't police your house," said Thomas Berry, of north Minneapolis.

So far, there have been 40 homicides in Minneapolis this year.

Mayor Betsy Hodges has a plan that includes working with the community to help solve issues that lead to violence.

Inside the Avenue Eatery in North Minneapolis on Thursday, the conversation was focused on the violence that continues to plague the community.

Eighteen of the city's 40 homicides have taken place on the streets of north Minneapolis, and many believe the solution to this problem starts in the home.

"The first thing we have to do is start caring," Berry said. "We have to care about our neighbors, we have to care about the people inside our homes, and, more importantly, we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard."

Police say the violence in the city is not random.

Investigators believe people are using guns to solve their problems with one another.

The mayor believes the community holds the key to stopping the gun violence.

"[We need to] help a create positive space, a positive place for people to go … and that is one of the key things the community can do," Hodges said.

Community members say issues with poverty, lack of employment, housing and programs to keep youth engaged has got us to this point.

They do believe things will get better if everyone took a stand.

"If we have a relative selling drugs, we have to tell that relative they cannot come into our neighborhood, into our house, our community," Berry said. "We have to be brave and stand up to the people we love first, then we can stand up to the strangers."

Police say they need community support to get the bad guys.

"When these murders occur, people know who did them, and they need to talk and cooperate," said Bob Kroll with the Minneapolis Police Federation.

He said that the officers feel "beaten down" because the focus has been on them recently and not on those responsible for the city's homicides.

And the violence hasn't just been on the north side. South Minneapolis has seen its share of violence as well.

The mayor says three of the last five shootings in the city have been in her neighborhood.

Still, despite the number of homicides this year, the Hodges says the city is safe. She says although violent crime is up by 5 percent, overall crime is down by 5 percent.

Compared to other cities, Minneapolis' homicide numbers are considerably lower. So far this year, there've been 104 homicides in Milwaukee, 136 in St. Louis and 215 in Baltimore.