Brooklyn Park sees historic 25% drop in violent crime in 1 year, as police credit building friendships
Brooklyn Park is the sixth-largest city in Minnesota, and it continues to grow, yet crime there is at historically low numbers. Violent crime is down 25% in the past year, and overall crime is down 6%.
Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said there isn't one factor for why crime is historically low, but rather several.
"We are getting smarter. We are doing more things that make more sense, that have a real impact," Bruley said. "One of the reasons we are so impactful today in dealing with crime is we no longer think of it any longer as just, 'It's a police problem.' It's a community problem. It's a social problem."
Violent crime in the city peaked in 2006 and 2007. Since then, with the exception of the COVID pandemic year of 2020, it's steadily gone down even as the population has risen.
Bruley credits the building of a rec center, programs and outreach for at-risk youth and hiring officers who look like the people they serve by recruiting at local schools – all while still holding criminals accountable.
"At the same time, we can't expect that just arresting them is going to solve the environment they are in, that even created their interest to steal the car or pick up the gun (in the first place)," Bruley said.
Bruley said one effective tactic was partnering with Huntington Place Apartments, which was considered for years to be a major crime hot spot in the city. But instead of making arrests, officers made friendships.
"We went down there and we talked to the people, and we built relationships. We had barbecues. I'm talking every night," Bruley said.
That trust, police say, encouraged residents to open up and ask for help with crime. Dr. Eric Johnson is with AEON, the company that manages Huntington Place. He says they've seen a 68% drop in apartment crimes in three years.
"Brooklyn Park police (were) in attendance at the meetings, really understanding the issues and challenges," Johnson said. "I think it's a good example of the partnership when you have local police, the property owner and the residents really working in tandem."
Bruley also credits mental health resources, food security efforts and workforce development for helping with crime, such as finding things that youth do well and helping them move towards a career in that field.
