Minneapolis City Councilmember Calls For Solutions To Northside Violence
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A call to action is being made by a Minneapolis City Council person to stop the surge in gun violence impacting the entire city.
Phillipe Cunningham says the running gun battle in the streets of North Minneapolis is impacting the life of his constituents in Ward 4 as well as others across the city, and he wants all hands on deck to address the violence.
"Enough is enough. The violence in our city is absolutely unacceptable and and intolerable," he said, echoing the sentiments of many who live in the section of North Minneapolis he represents.
During the Pubic Health and Safety committee on Thursday he introduced a staff direction of how he wants to address the issue of crime.
"I know that I speak for so many in the city when I say my soul cannot take another child murder from this senseless gun violence. We must do something about it," he said.
Cunningham wants to organize the entire city enterprise to help stop the violence. He wants boots-on-the-ground organizations, the Office of Violence Prevention, Minneapolis Police and other community stakeholders to work together to stop the bloodshed.
"The violence in our city is driven by a small number of people who are causing a lot of harm, but our community members who are boots-on-the-ground and MPD already know who they are," he said.
Cunningham hopes groups like A Mother's Love, the Interrupters and We Push for Peace will work with the young people who want a different life, who want out of the gangs. The young people who do not respond to that interaction will become the focus of law enforcement, to get the bullets to stop.
"There are connections between group violence in Minneapolis and the violence taking place throughout the rest of the city. If we stop the violence in North Minneapolis, it will solve the violence in our entire city," he said.
Cunningham hopes to unveil his plan at Wednesday's Policy and Government Oversight Committee meeting. Outreach teams WCCO spoke with say they hope to have input as well as hear about the plan before that meeting.
