Some Good News

One violent crime is always one too many, but in 2022 we have seen a significant decrease of violent crimes in District 4 parks over prior years. We had 13 violent crimes in 2022, down from 38 in 2021 and 36 in 2020. Some examples—Stevens Square Park had zero violent crimes this year (compared to 7 in 2021), and Loring Park also saw significant improvement (3 this year compared to 13 in 2021).

Our success is due to the leadership and teamwork of many people including (1) Stevens Square and Elliot Park neighborhood safety meetings, (2) new neighborhood walking groups in Loring Park, East Isles and the North Loop, (3) targeted engagement plans and proactive patrolling by park police, (4) relationship building and supportive services offered by MPRB’s Street Reach team, (5) increased rec programming in several parks, and (6) local business owners engaged in supporting solutions. I have committed many hours in neighborhood and community meetings to listen and support these grassroots efforts.

As I have said earlier, if our parks aren’t safe, nothing else matters. Let’s build on this momentum as we head into 2023.