Report on Mall Activities0
April 3, 1981
To: Mayor Council
From: Wm. P. Craig, City Manager
Subject: 1981 Mall Law Enforcement Plans
THE PROBLEM With Spring, we get also the hordes of juveniles and young
adults visiting Hopkins in the evenings, to "cruise"
Excelsior Ave., and socialize. Quite a few drink while
driving, and since they aren't very good drivers to start
with, they become hazardous to the general public and to.
themselves. A certain percentage are loud and abusive,
using loudspeakers, horns, firecrackers, etc., to express
themselves. Many complaints are subsequently received from
residents and business people regarding noise, vandalism,
litter, and disorderly conduct. Intensive police activity
has resulted in hundreds of arrests, but for a number of
reasons has not resolved the problem.
1) Fines levied are quite small, often less than the
price of gasoline purchased to get to Hopkins.
2) A sizeable number of those cited never come to
Court or pay the fine. County -wide, 85,000- 100,000
such unexecuted warrants are outstanding at any one
time.
3) When one thousand or two thousand autos are in town
at a time, only a small number of violators can be
cited.
METHOD OF ANALYSIS The Police Dept. this year had a comprehensive review
including all members, of the problem. Recommendations were
madey discussed, and passed thru the Superintendent to my-
self. Briefly, it was determined that "babysitting" on the
Mall uses personnel all out of proportion to the type of
violation, compared to the need for officers throughout the
City. Therefore, the Mall should be closed nightly, and
available forces concentrated to insure apprehension of
violators entering the residential areas.
C I) STEPS TO A SOLUTION The following items are within the Police purview
and are now being started:
1) Sgt. Pratt is developing a "warning file" on loitering/
trespassing. Hard copy to violator, carbon to file. 2nd
offense in calendar year resuits»in citation for adults.
Photocopy of warnings to accompany citation to Court.
Walter to contact parents on juvenile cards.
2) Adjust P.S.O. hours so that we have one on duty on Frida3
evenings (as often as possible)
3) Use Juvenile Field Inquiry Cards on curfew violations.
1st offense results in arrest P.S.O. to contact parents,
etc.
WPC:dmj
4)Walter Johnson to evaluate all curfew violations for pur-
pose of charging parents under MSA 950:15.
5) Adjust Investigator and Juvenile hours so that one is
working Tues. thru Sat. 1600 to 2400 hrs. (bar checks,
amusement center, etc.)
Adjust Sergeant's hours. All four Sergeants to work
every Friday; 0700/1700, 1200/2200, 1700/0300 and 1900/
0500. (Sgt. Lund is working on this states that it
looks "possible
7) Adjust patrol officer's hours on Fridays; move one day
officer to 1000 /1800, and one one mid officer to 1800/
0200.
8) Assign Officer Liddy to 1900 /0300 as soon as newly hired
officer can go alone.
9) Adjust Lt. Bentley's hours to flexible schedule that per
mits using him whenever he is needed due to vacations,
etc.
10) Require absolute scheduling of the Reserve Police Officer
with a minimum of two on Fridays, and Saturdays (eves)
and one each other night of the week.
11) Assign one regular officer and one reserve officer to
foot patrol on the Mall area at least on Friday eves.
12) Assign Officers Liddy and Hesse to motorcycle duty. To be
used every Friday eve and on other nights as needs dictat
13) Utilize Community Room and volunteer fire officers to pro
cess juveniles (they have requested this but there are
some limitations due to the data /(private issue).
14) Make greater use of vehicle spot checks with emphasis on
different violations each week.
The following items are within Council's scope of action,
and would need approval:
1) Post signs stating "No Parking or Stopping, 10 p.m. to
6 a.m." on both sides of' Excelsior, from 12th to 17th
Avenues.
2) Permission to close the Mall to vehicle traffic, 9 p.m. to
3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 8th to 11th Avenues, start-
ing immediately.
3) Permission to close the Mall nightly, hours as above, be-
ginning May 24th. The closure would be accomplished by
temporary barricades at first, later by a legal ref lec-
torized cable assembly, or similar construction.
Re ec fully submitted,
William P. Cram
City Manager