Minnesota Crime News

As Crime Falls In U.S., Here's What Happened In Minnesota

New FBI data shows crime once again fell in the United States — largely due to continued declines in property offenses — and Minnesota saw an downturn in violent crimes. The FBI this week published its final analysis of "Crime in the United States, 2017," finding that the estimated number of violent crimes nationwide fell slightly .2 percent compared to 2016, while property crimes dropped nearly 4 percent. Experts say it marks the 16th consecutive year in which crime has declined. The drop in violent crime is particularly notable given that the rate had increased in 2015 and 2016. The FBI estimated there were 382.9 violent crimes for every 100,000 Americans last year, down from 2016 when that number was 386.3. There were 17,284 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters, a tick down 1.45 percent. In Minnesota, the violent crime rate was even lower than the national rate last year at 238.3 per 100,000 residents. That includes 113 murders and nonnegligent manslaughters. The murder rate in Minnesota was 2 per 100,000 people, lower than the national rate of 5.3.

Federal grants address opioids, violent crime in Minnesota

In recent interviews, U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald has identified Indian Country as a top priority for her office and said that fear of school violence keeps her up at night. Recently MacDonald’s office announced that the Department of Justice had awarded public safety grants in both areas.

Six Minnesota tribes will receive grants totaling more than $8.6 million to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs, a press release from the United States Attorney’s office announced in September. The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe will receive a total of $1,921,228, the Lower Sioux Indian Community will receive a total of $3,261,780, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe will receive a total of $1,187,669, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians will receive a total of $1,310,299, the Prairie Island Indian Community will receive a total of $598,976, and the White Earth Reservation Tribal Council will receive a total of $337,426. The grants will directly support efforts to address the challenges of domestic violence and opioid and substance abuse, MacDonald said in the press release. Tribal emergency

MacDonald previously told Minnesota Lawyer, “The challenge for the state of Minnesota and also the entire nation is narcotics trafficking that goes hand-in-hand with violent crime but also crime that is distinct by itself. We have to run dual tracks, not losing sight of the narcotics trafficking but also [domestic abuse, child sexual abuse, homicide] — crimes like that on the reservation. Native Americans suffer from violent crime at a rate more than twice that of any other ethnic or racial population. The chair of the Red Lake tribe has declared a state of emergency there because they were experiencing one overdose death every six days, MacDonald said, also mentioning in the previous interview:

You’re going to hear initiatives coming from our office that address both prevention and treatment. It’s an ongoing battle, but we can’t take our eye off it,”

Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the justice department announced. In addition, the department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance. Recipients will be announced in the near future.