At a recent tri-neighborhood court watch meeting the following cases were identified as needing Community Impact Statements (CIS). These statements are extremely important as they demonstrate to the judge how a crime has affected you/the community, and to influence the judge’s sentence (ask the judge to give the defendant the maximum jail time allowed, for example, or require the defendant to do certain things – like treatment or community service – as conditions of probation). More information about Community Impact Statements: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/attorney/impact-statements-faq.asp.

Please write and submit COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENTS ASAP for the following cases. The case listed below detailed in the Court Watch PDF affect Kingfield residents. Please detail activity that you are aware of that this individual has been involved in as well as how their activity has affected your general livability. Please include dates of and location of activity as well as if 911 was called. You DO NOT have to personally ID the person or have witnessed their crime to write a statement.  You can also submit a more general statement about how the actions of this individual and the type of crime have affected the livability in your community.

Dominique Bowman-Griffin
Court Date 2/15/08 – Need CIS ASAP
Known to live at 3848 1^st Ave. (residents living near this address know of recent gang activity, noise disturbances, drive by shootings etc – please write about these in detail in your CIS)

Keith Allen Dmry
Trial 2/19/08 – NEED CIS ASAP
Arrested in Agg Robbery, 2^nd Deg Assault, Kidnapping that happened at MLK Park in October.

Aracelis Dorticos
2/4/08 Omnibus and 3/17/08 Trail – NEED CIS ASAP
Arrested in Agg Robbery, 2^nd Deg Assault, Kidnapping that happened at MLK Park in October

Jamaal Bernard Rays
Trial7/7/08– NEED CIS
2nd Degree Murder on 9/12/07 (Mark Loesch murder)

Donald Eugene Jackson
Court Date 1/29/08 to go to Trial– NEED CIS
2nd Degree Murder on 9/12/07 (Mark Loesch murder)

Graffiti is a common problem; its intensity varies substantially from place to place. While a single incident of graffiti does not seem serious, graffiti has a serious cumulative effect; its initial appearance in a location attracts more graffiti. Local graffiti patterns emerge over time, accumulating in hot areas.

For many people, graffiti's presence suggests the government's failure to protect citizens and control lawbreakers. There are huge public costs associated with graffiti: an estimated $15 billion a year is spent cleaning up graffiti in the United States. Graffiti contributes to the decline in property value. In addition, graffiti generates the perception of blight and heightens fear of crime and gang activity.

The word Graffiti is associated with the Underground Alternative Lifestyle which is anti-social in nature.  Graffiti is a Crime consisting of illegal placement upon private or public property; that is what the word means “illegal.”

By gaining prestige in the Vandal Community, individuals relieve their stress and gain fame by others associated with this lifestyle.  To these individuals, a minute of fame gained may be all the greatness they accomplish in a lifetime.  This is why Graffiti in itself is so intense.   Vandals easily come together and bond.   An active tagger will accumulate two hundred to over a thousand tags in a single City each year.  

With this information, we are hoping that you can help us keep garbage containers clean of graffiti.  Garbage containers that continually have graffiti on them only attract more graffiti.  Please help the City clean it off with Gang Busters available at your local Fire Station, or your own paint to match.  A list of Paint Vendors can be acquired through City Inspections to purchase paint at a decent price. 

Tom Thompson
Crime Prevention Specialist