Speed Gibson

I feel sheepish here at my little blog praising another much more prestigious, but Craig Westover has posted one of his best ever: Crime and disorder in Minneapolis - It's not a paradox.

Westover is responding to a wistful editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune lamenting the rise of "Livability Crime" in Minneapolis.

Rude, intimidating behavior, left unchallenged, threatens the freedom and confidence of ordinary people to live secure, productive lives. The steady growth of disorder has already contributed to the closing of scores of retail businesses, the shift of thousands of jobs and the oft-heard vows of downtown visitors never to return. The director of Safe Zone, the police-business collaborative, was, herself, grabbed and groped recently while walking with a male companion on Hennepin Avenue in broad daylight.

The Editorial stops at characterizing this very real problem as another facet of law and order too long neglected.

Craig goes further, to question the actual cause and effect relationship truly at work here, that the ivory tower city planning intended to create paradise may also be significantly degrading the true livability of the area. Please, read the whole post.