Minneapolis police chief addresses troubled apartment complex in Stevens Square
This summer, WCCO first told you about a Minneapolis man who said his apartment complex tried to hire a security firm, but the firm said the area presented too much demand for their ability.
It's located at the intersection of First Avenue South and East 19th Street. Now, a landlord is saying it's a problem he's even spoken with the chief of police about.
It's a sunny Thursday morning in the Stevens Square neighborhood, where Jim Rubin manages 600 properties, give or take.
"This crime is on my front step," Rubin told WCCO. He described his daily drop by.
"I have to see people lined up here, standing here, standing on my front step openly dealing drugs," Rubin added.
Videos he shared show what he witnesses.
"The reason we're not seeing it [right now], it's a little chilly, but there's us with a camera, they're not gonna come out now," said Rubin.
When WCCO asked, "Do you think they're watching?" he said, "Yeah. Yup."
So we watched from afar, a tinted window from above on the corner of 19th and Nicollet.
"It's right in the open, you can see the drugs and the cash," said Rubin.
In August, one of Rubin's tenants said Mint Properties, the company Rubin owns, hired a security firm, but the firm backed out. A topic that the tenant took to TikTok.
"That's actually the fourth security firm we've tried to hire to help police this area," said Rubin.
It's a problem so vast, Rubin spoke with the police chief himself. Chief Brian O'Hara said he remembered their conversation.
"The main driver of the issue is people who are hanging out either smoking marijuana or selling marijuana and because that is not a crime, it makes it very difficult," said O'Hara.
WCCO showed O'Hara what was witnessed on Thursday.
"Is it just marijuana?" WCCO asked him.
"It is not exclusively marijuana, but the problem does seem to be predominantly marijuana sales," he answered.
The chief says that can lead to conflict and worse actions, including gunfire. He adds that staffing has presented a challenge, all while they're dealing with a higher-than-average case load.
"Trying to get the courts to approve geographic restrictions on the individuals that are repeatedly selling drugs, loitering," said O'Hara.
After a shooting that just occurred on Monday and other spots of tragedy that drill into Rubin's mind...
"Somebody was shot and killed right here," said Rubin.
He chooses to stay optimistic.
"The city has lost control," Rubin added. "We will get it done. I have to get it done because the neighborhood isn't going to function."
Minneapolis police say registering your cameras with them can always help stop crime. They encourage you to say something if you see something.