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A back-alley approach to fight crime in Minneapolis
The City Council is reviewing a proposal to keep strangers out of its 455 miles of alleys.Miles and miles of Minneapolis alleys would be off-limits to strangers under a proposed city ordinance intended to curtail crime. The proposal would prohibit anyone from walking in an alley who doesn't live on that block or who isn't a guest of someone who does. Police, paramedics and firefighters would be exempt, as would garbage haulers, meter readers, code inspectors and others whose jobs take them there. Minneapolis has 455 miles of alleys, most of them paved. They serve as places to drive to garages in the city's oldest neighborhoods and as shortcuts. "I see so much crime occurring in the alleys. It's a quick getaway," said Minneapolis police officer Mike Killebrew. "If you don't live there on that block there's no reason to be in the alley," said Killebrew, who proposed the ordinance to the city attorney. Any move to make walking in alleys illegal is likely to anger some people. On a sun-rich Friday afternoon, Gordon Anderson walked down the paved alley on the 3400 block of Lyndale Avenue S. He said he has lived on the block for 20 years and that everyone in the neighborhood walks down alleys. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," he said. "The whole country seems to be going to the Soviet Union, I'll tell you that." Council Member Robert Lilligren sponsored the motion, which was introduced Friday and referred to the City Council's Public Safety Committee for review. Lilligren, who had surgery last week, was unavailable to comment. Posted by: ryuge 2006-06-01 |
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