Larger police presence, curfew hopes to curve violence downtown

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis police officers are cracking down and ramping up their presence downtown.

It's a show of force after three young people were killed in violent crimes the past two weekends.

"There's nothing in downtown Minneapolis for teenagers to get into but trouble," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.

Yet, it's those teenagers at the center of violent back-to-back weekends.

Two weeks ago, a fight escalated before a 16-year-old girl was intentionally hit by a car at the intersection of Fifth Street and Hennepin Avenue.

Last Saturday, five people were shot and two of them killed at that same intersection.

"Police cannot do this alone. This isn't a situation we can correct by arresting people and think we're going to solve the problem," O'Hara said.

That's where violence interrupters like "21 Days of Peace" come in.

"We are coming down to join forces to bring some peace and calm to the area," said founder Pastor Jerry McAfee.

The new plan going into this weekend includes more boots on the ground — from several agencies, mounted patrol, and a strict curfew.

In Hennepin County, those under 12 need to be home by 10 p.m., under 14 home by 11 p.m., and 15-17 by midnight.

"There will be consequences tonight we're not going to allow people out here to do what we've seen over the last few weekends," O'Hara said.

But Pastor McAfee hopes to step in before it gets to that point.

"We know a lot of these kids already, it's just to get, to try to get them the necessary services that we believe they need," McAfee stated.