Robust community engagement works—when we have it.

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One of my favorite jobs as an Assistant Hennepin County Attorney was working on the Community Engagement Team. In 2016, after 20 years in my office bubble, I was given the opportunity (and privilege) to collaborate with law enforcement, neighborhood advocacy groups, and various non-profits—all who shared the goal of helping communities stay safe. In those days, the Minneapolis Police Department had a strong property nuisance program, and I worked with the city to bring related cases to court, where state laws existed to protect those harmed by their neighbors.

I attended meetings at the highest level in every congressional district in Minneapolis. I attended community meetings and listened to the daily problems of people living throughout the city.

At this time I was living in the Fifth Precinct, not far from Davis Moturi and John Sawchak (recent events: “NAACP Claims City Avoided Responsibility for Shooting” November 2). I worked on cases just like theirs, using the tools at our disposal to serve and protect neighbors like Moturi. At National Night Out in the summer of 2016, I attended no less than eight parties where I celebrated community and safety with other Minneapolis residents. Although I served in this position for only a little over a year, I took immense pride in my work, which balanced public safety with other important issues such as addiction, homelessness and mental health.

Three years later, the killing of George Floyd by MPD officer Derek Chauvin, subsequent unrest and much-needed federal oversight have upended the Minneapolis Police Department. The Improper Property Unit has been disbanded. Other significant cuts and changes to the work being done essentially destroyed the program as it existed when I was a part of it.

Because MPD has bled its patrol officers dry, problems like Moturi’s have become less of a priority. There are simply not enough resources to help all the savages in the city. While I do not have all the facts in this case, public records show that Sawchak engaged in dangerous and threatening behavior for nearly a year and had several outstanding warrants.

I fear that the pendulum has now swung too far in the other direction, and concerns about prosecution, criminal charges, or other negative portrayals have impacted MPD’s mandate to “protect with courage and serve with compassion.” Persons with mental health problems who pose a danger to themselves and others require a careful approach. Ignoring victim concerns and failing to write complete and accurate reports is a disservice to the public and to the prosecutors who seek to hold people accountable.