MINNEAPOLIS — After another incident near Lake and Hiawatha in Minneapolis, City Council Member Jason Chavez knows something needs to change.
"There's been many instances where folks have just felt unsafe," he said. "While also making it very difficult for people in the area, so, we've been struggling."
The most recent incident was Monday after a person was shot in the afternoon.
"While we have seen a lot more proactive support for our residents there, it's still not enough, I'll say that," Chavez said.
That shooting happened under the Metro Transit station at the intersection, not in it. Still, Metro Transit Police Chief Ernest Morales didn't hold his frustration back Monday afternoon.
"You see the drug dealers consistently loiter in this corner," Morales said. "It leads to problems on our transit system, not the other way around."
Morales says they've increased security in the area. Chavez says there's more that can be done off the platform as well.
"There are initiatives that are coming literally very soon, that I hope really work for the area," he said. "And improve the conditions that people are going through."
That includes a potential community safety center, located just feet from where this shooting took place. Chavez says that will include a behavioral crisis response (BCR) team and crime prevention specialists.
"They [BCR] will no longer have to be traveling from northeast Minneapolis to a place on Lake Street," Chavez said. "They can just be deployed right from that spot."
The center would also be run by 311 and include community support and safety coordinators, among other resources. Additionally, the MPD will have officers present during regular office hours.
The center is set to open this fall, pending full council approval next week – something Chavez says should immediately have an impact.
"That Lake Street Safety Center, it's literally right there. It's going to make a big difference," Chavez said.
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