MPD, Agencies Team Up to Address Violence at 38th & Chicago
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and other law enforcement leaders vowed Wednesday, March 17, to restore peace to the area of 38th St. and Chicago Ave., the so-called, multi-block "autonomous zone" in south Minneapolis where George Floyd died last May and an area that has been plagued by a "staggering and unacceptable" rise in violent crime, Arradondo said.
MPD, along with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, FBI Minneapolis Field Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the focus will now shift to restoring order in the area after months of deteriorating conditions.
"Enough is enough. Our community will not tolerate this anymore," Arradondo said.
Arradondo said residents and business owners in the area also known as George Floyd Square have "suffered far too long" with a several-block radius that was essentially shut down to vehicle traffic since last May. Street barricades are patrolled by a ragtag group of volunteers and police have been met with hostility during several instances where they’ve responded to major events in the square.
The announcement of a renewed, multi-agency focus Wednesday on an area some residents see as lawless comes as violent crime continues seemingly unabated there. A man was gunned down outside of Cup Foods earlier this month, just steps from where George Floyd spoke his last words; a high-speed pursuit of a vehicle involved in a shots fired incident ended in the memorial area last Friday night, with officers quickly swarming the area and detaining the suspects before leaving as soon as possible; reports of gunshots are a near nightly basis in the surrounding areas, several residents said.
While not providing a specific timeline on plans for 38th St. & Chicago Ave., Arradondo tried to assure concerned residents that police are aware of and attempting to address the problem.
"Rest assured, that intersection is going to open," Arradondo said. "We want to make sure we do it right."