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Although most major statistics show that the crime rate has been steadily falling across the nation since the 1990's, it can still be a huge problem to contend with in some of the bigger cities across the nation. Like anything, more people tends to breed more problems. While law enforcement agencies and government officials are working diligently to fight crime in their areas, it is a never- ending battle but one that must be waged every day or else anarchy and social unrest ensue. With population currently hovering around 400,000, Minneapolis, Minnesota keeps its emergency services constantly busy with requests for aid and assistance. It has been estimated that over a 1,000 emergency calls are received and processed every day by the police, EMT and fire departments. Due to budget constraints and the sheer reality of the situation, it is not always possible to immediately respond to all calls made for emergency services. All calls involving life threatening problems are given first priority. The less severe calls for assistance are prioritized and processed in the most logical manner to ensure the best service possible. It takes about an hour to assess the nature of the call and dispatch a cop during the busiest of times. Each incoming call is assessed and put into low priority only if (i) there is no immediate threat to life, (ii) the caller has no injuries, (iii) the caller is not a victim of ongoing criminal action, and (iv) the offender is not an immediate threat and is not expected to return. In a new initiative, the city of Minneapolis has adopted a plan called CODEFOR that ensures efficient distribution of the forces to ensure effective handling of the emergency situation, be it crime, fire or any such other event. The underlying principle is to achieve effectiveness in handling crime through proper prioritization of calls rather than spreading the forces thin. The acronym CODEFOR means Computer Optimized Deployment-Focus On Results. CODEFOR, which involves all sections of the police force, is driven by four basic principles viz. a. providing timely and accurate intelligence on an ongoing crime, b. rapidly deploying resources and personnel in appropriate circumstances, c. ensuring tactics that are effective and d. relentlessly following-up and assessing the situation. The ‘Watch Your Car’ program is another initiative taken by Minneapolis to reduce car theft. It is a voluntary program that involves registered owners who sign a release form stating that they are not normally driving their vehicle between 1-5 a.m. This gives the police the right to pull their car over if they spot it on the road during these hours. Participants get luminous stickers for their cars. If a vehicle with the sticker is seen between 1-5 a.m. the police will pull it over even if no crime has yet been witnessed. The citizens are happy to join this revolutionary program because it is showing great results. However, it is presumptuous to consider a crime fighting initiative will be 100% effective. But, the Minneapolis police department is certainly trying its best to make the community as safe as possible for its citizens. It is a great incentive for people considering relocating to Minneapolis as the community is committed to fighting crime to make the city safe to live.
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Heather Woodbine is the owner and operator of F minneapolis, the #1 source on the internet for information about minneapolis. For more articles on minneapolis why not visit: www.yominneapolis.com/articles Click here for other unique minneapolis articles.
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