Crime Alert on Street Crime in Lowry Hill, Steven's Square

Kind of sucks for Steven's Square which just had a homicide, even if the killing was related to a personal beef. Not good for the stats.
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Please see below for information on purse snatches and thefts from motor vehicles in sector one, primarily in Stevens Square, Whittier and Lowry Hill East neighborhoods. There is no further information on any of these crimes at this time.



Purse Snatches



There have been three reported purse snatches within the last week in 5th Precinct Sector 1. In all three cases, the female victim was walking alone when someone ran up from behind, grabbed her purse and ran. In one case, two males approached; in the other two cases, it was one male. None of the victims reported injuries.



In two cases, the purses were recovered. In one case, credit cards from the purse were used at a gas station.



25xx Harriet Av S, Monday 10/26/09, about 8 pm
Victim was approaching her apartment building. 3 juvenile males were arrested.
29xx Hennepin Av S, Wednesday 10/28/09, about 1:30 pm
Victim was walking on Lake Street.
26th St & Stevens Av, Wednesday 10/28/09, about 11:45 pm
Victim was walking on the street.


Remember:

· Be aware of your surroundings and trust your instincts

· Walk in well-lit areas when possible

· Avoid walking alone down alleys or isolated streets, especially in the dark

· Have a cell phone with you so you can call 911

· Carry your keys in your hand so you can more quickly get into your front door

· Carry the minimum amount of cash and credit cards with you that you can

· If you must carry a lot of cash, carry a small amount in an obvious place (like your purse, wallet, or pockets) and hide the rest in a less obvious place (like a shoe)



For more personal safety tips, please visit http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-prevention/docs/KEYSPS.pdf for the direct link to a flyer with several safety tips.





Theft From Motor Vehicles



In addition, we continue to see thefts from motor vehicles. This week (10/20-10/26/09) there were 35 reported thefts from motor vehicles in 5th Precinct. 15 of those occurred north of Lake Street. 9 of the cases were in or on the border of Lowry Hill East.



In most cases, a window was broken to access valuables inside. In 6 of the 15 cases, a GPS unit was stolen. 2 cases included stolen laptops and 2 included stolen iPods.



This is a reminder to remove valuables from your vehicle, including GPS, wallets, purses, laptops, iPods, and so on. Remember that even a gym bag could be attractive to a thief because he or she will not know what is inside.



If you must keep valuables in your vehicle, it’s best to place them in your trunk before reaching your destination.



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If you are interested in seeing weekly precinct-wide crime maps, please visit http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-statistics/codefor/index.asp. Use the drop-down menu and select Precinct 5 if you would like to see maps from previous weeks or years.



To find more crime prevention tips on many topics, including the ones above, please visit: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-prevention/.



For questions, contact:

Chelsea Adams, Crime Prevention Specialist
Minneapolis Police Department, 5th Precinct
(612) 673-2819
chelsea.adams@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

To Protect With Courage
To Serve With Compassion