'I've Never Run Into A Case That's Not Solvable': Meet Minneapolis Police's Top Homicide Investigator

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- More families lost a loved one to violence last year than in any year since Minneapolis was dubbed "Murderapolis" in 1995.

The city's longtime head of homicide says one reason for the spike is the number of guns on the street.

Lt. Richard Zimmerman, the department's most senior officer, gave WCCO an inside look at the Homicide Unit. In a rare interview, he told Jennifer Mayerle what's driving the killings, and the role the community plays.

A grieving family. A sign posted in search of answers. Bullet casings collected at a scene. Ninety-six murders plagued Minneapolis in 2021.

"We'll get called in day or night, 24/7," Zimmerman said. "When a murder happens we start rolling with it right away."

He is the first from the homicide unit on a scene. The head of homicide calls in the detectives on call. Twelve work in pairs of two -- a number that stayed the same despite a steep decline in police officers in recent years.

"The administration, thankfully, has kept it at 12," Zimmerman said.

Still with the growing number of homicides, Zimmerman says they enlisted the help of the ATF, FBI and BCA.

"That's helped immensely, and very helpful for the cases, and for the victim's families," Zimmerman said.

Last year saw arrests in roughly 65% of the apparent murders. Zimmerman says people settling arguments with guns are driving the homicide spike.

"People are pulling guns out, shooting at each other, bullets are flying, innocent people get hit that way," Zimmerman said.

He says in the 90s, it was more organized crime that led to a high number of homicides. These days he says it's small-loosely connected groups. Mayerle asked if there's a danger in that.

"Yeah, you know, it makes it more difficult to identify who's doing the shootings," he said. "But there's one good thing that we have now that we didn't have back then ... two things, actually: cellphones and video."

That helped in the recent arrest of Dpree Robinson in the killing of Trinity Ottoson-Smith. The charges say video and cellphone data put him at the scene at the time of the murder.

"Do you think the decrease in staffing in the department has contributed to the escalating violence and increase in homicides?" Mayerle asked.

"I really don't think so," Zimmerman said. "Homicide seems to roll with its own flow."

He showed WCCO the secure area with interview rooms where detectives talk to suspects. Each room has a camera and the ability to record what's said. Other rooms are used for talks with witnesses.

Zimmerman calls community input vital.

"I've never run into a case that is not solvable. It's just a matter of does the person that knows something about it want to help now, or not?" Zimmerman said.

As of March 2, there are 11 homicides so far in Minneapolis this year, the same as this point last winter. Police data that go back to 2008 show detectives have made an arrest in 72% of killings.