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Johndoe 05/19/2011 2:10:00 AM
Sorry... i have no compassion for criminals. yes, some homeless people are homeless because of mental illness or drug addiction but seriously? there are alot of law abiding homeless people! I have no compassion for homeless bums who dont work and live off the working tax payers.
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Corrie Harrigan 09/05/2009 11:54:00 PM
Although I read this article late, I will say that it has made me feel as though I undeniably NEVER want to read this publication again.
Erin Carlyle and CP should both be ashamed of this piece of "journalism". Criminalizing and profiling the mentally ill in our city without asking WHY they have gotten to the place they are in now is flat out ignorant, classist, racist, and completely stupid.
There are absolutely no words to convey my total disgust.
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Jon 08/30/2009 10:41:00 PM
Nearly ALL these people are in Duluth now. The high-rises in Minneapolis are full; some even post a five year long wait list. HRA in Duluth has a six month or less wait and plenty of social services here in Duluth, which was more or less off limits to petty crooks a decade ago - now they do not appear to be afraid to come up here. After all, we are only 150 miles away and a 2 1/2 hour Greyhound Bus ride away. Big enough to find enough trouble and small enough to not worry about much. Above all else NONE of these men are here for work. They are here to get their hands on ANY white girl stupid enough to open her apartment and her legs for them - and then all she has to do is say "I'm late! or I'm pregnant!' and watch how fast these guys scatter. Almost all are convicts, so they can't get any welfare, so what they do is live off of the white girls they're screwing and use up their cars, their income, their social services, etc and stay under the radar until someday when they get charged for street robbery, rape or assault. It's absolutely embarrasing to see what Duluth has turned into over the last ten years. Thanks, Minneapolis! This whole 'crime has gone down' is crap - more like 'stick them on the Greyhound to Duluth and let them be someone else's problem.'
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Colin Schwartz 08/25/2009 12:31:00 AM
I rather liked the story and I must say...
what the fuck do you people expect from a local arts and fags paper that is FREE...the god damn thing is by the exit door everywhere in MPLS.
City Pages =
Interns up the ass...
What? you think the city pages has a payroll big enough to
hire bullshit writers who can sugarcoat the truth with enough sweets that someone will put a quater in a slot and pay to read it. That is feel good news.
I don't think they print anything to make any one group
of people feel good.
Is it the fault of the city pages that most of the repeat assholes are black ?
REALLY... was that a shock to anyone ?
Pack up your lazy butt and take the kids to a twins game at the dome...
Walk around for a little bit down there...
You don't have to walk very far to see that the repeat asshole problem is a BLACK MINIORTY problem.
The Intolerance of the Tolerent...
It's always ready to show it's face anytime someone calls a spade... a spade.
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Cassandra Morrison 08/19/2009 10:40:00 PM
We've got a crowd of these across the alley from us. Loud noise all night, lots of traffic (and if the brags of these people can be believed many of the cars are stolen). They have tried to take over our parking spaces (this is an apartment house for Seniors and mostly they aren't so mobile they can forgo the handicapped parking here) dumped their garbage in our bin and our recycle containers, yell threats at us constantly.
They've only been there a couple of months but it seems like forever.
The police department knows about this house and they're out there just about every other day.
The owner of the property refuses to take any responsibility for the actions of his tenants---which is incomprehensible to me.
The folks here at St Paul's Home Apartments are seniors, many of them disabled, and they are being terrorized by these young thugs (there seem to be about 15-20 who call the place home).
All we're hoping is that someone can do SOMETHING to get these people out of here.
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MarsBars 08/19/2009 3:41:00 AM
At the risk of going all ad-hominem on the author, what on earth are they teaching at the Stanford University &
Columbia University - Graduate School of Journalism (see her LinkedIn profile)? Is this something the author's alma mater would be proud to claim as coming from one of their own graduates?
The Ivy League alma maters do add weight to some commenters' assertions about her background and privilege, which I find very interesting.
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blue 08/13/2009 11:07:00 AM
half of u pieces of sheet disgust me, including the one who wrote this article, these are the nuicances who are destroying our communities?? WHAT?? are u retarded or are u jus ignorant, and yea i said jus, i know how to spell just but im using an eggcorn, i know half of these people u jus villianized, and i can tell u right now , half of these citations are from drinking in public, the other are from treapasses or some other trivial bullsheet, this is your so called nuisances?? i know most of these people and ill tell u this, they aint out there sticcin nobody up, they not sellin no narcotics, but there a "nusance" cause they ASK u for loose change instead of sticcin a pistol in your face or puttin a knife to ur throat for money???!!! are u phucn serious!! this is who cause these problems that threaten your saftey??? if mommy and daddy didnt give u your trust funds and paid for your college ud probally do the same sheet, better yet u probally wouldnt even survive that long, how phucn dare u, who are u to malicously assasinate their character when u can even understand the systematic attaccs theyve undergone??? and what about the bad police officers that beat on them due to the fact theyve had a bad day, not all cops are bad, but the ones that are think jus like the person that wrote this article, and pissin in public?? what?? half of these buisnesses wouldnt allow a homeless person to piss in there toilets, what, we supposed to piss our pants?? instead of passin judgement why dont u get off your proverbial high horse and walk a mile in those shoes, live 2 weeks in harbor light then talk that sheet, and another thing, the majority of these cops, judges,(and by judges i mean people like u and legal judges), when they have a bad day or are faced with stress what they do?? huh? go home drink some beer or go to a bar and do that, if they didnt have a home and they didnt have enough to drink at a bar, what tha phucc would they do? dont throw stones if u live in a glass house, if your such a super person and your so much better, I DARE u to live in a shelter and tell me then what u think of us.
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blue 08/13/2009 11:07:00 AM
half of u pieces of sheet disgust me, including the one who wrote this article, these are the nuicances who are destroying our communities?? WHAT?? are u retarded or are u jus ignorant, and yea i said jus, i know how to spell just but im using an eggcorn, i know half of these people u jus villianized, and i can tell u right now , half of these citations are from drinking in public, the other are from treapasses or some other trivial bullsheet, this is your so called nuisances?? i know most of these people and ill tell u this, they aint out there sticcin nobody up, they not sellin no narcotics, but there a "nusance" cause they ASK u for loose change instead of sticcin a pistol in your face or puttin a knife to ur throat for money???!!! are u phucn serious!! this is who cause these problems that threaten your saftey??? if mommy and daddy didnt give u your trust funds and paid for your college ud probally do the same sheet, better yet u probally wouldnt even survive that long, how phucn dare u, who are u to malicously assasinate their character when u can even understand the systematic attaccs theyve undergone??? and what about the bad police officers that beat on them due to the fact theyve had a bad day, not all cops are bad, but the ones that are think jus like the person that wrote this article, and pissin in public?? what?? half of these buisnesses wouldnt allow a homeless person to piss in there toilets, what, we supposed to piss our pants?? instead of passin judgement why dont u get off your proverbial high horse and walk a mile in those shoes, live 2 weeks in harbor light then talk that sheet, and another thing, the majority of these cops, judges,(and by judges i mean people like u and legal judges), when they have a bad day or are faced with stress what they do?? huh? go home drink some beer or go to a bar and do that, if they didnt have a home and they didnt have enough to drink at a bar, what tha phucc would they do? dont throw stones if u live in a glass house, if your such a super person and your so much better, I DARE u to live in a shelter and tell me then what u think of us.
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blue 08/13/2009 11:06:00 AM
half of u pieces of sheet disgust me, including the one who wrote this article, these are the nuicances who are destroying our communities?? WHAT?? are u retarded or are u jus ignorant, and yea i said jus, i know how to spell just but im using an eggcorn, i know half of these people u jus villianized, and i can tell u right now , half of these citations are from drinking in public, the other are from treapasses or some other trivial bullsheet, this is your so called nuisances?? i know most of these people and ill tell u this, they aint out there sticcin nobody up, they not sellin no narcotics, but there a "nusance" cause they ASK u for loose change instead of sticcin a pistol in your face or puttin a knife to ur throat for money???!!! are u phucn serious!! this is who cause these problems that threaten your saftey??? if mommy and daddy didnt give u your trust funds and paid for your college ud probally do the same sheet, better yet u probally wouldnt even survive that long, how phucn dare u, who are u to malicously assasinate their character when u can even understand the systematic attaccs theyve undergone??? and what about the bad police officers that beat on them due to the fact theyve had a bad day, not all cops are bad, but the ones that are think jus like the person that wrote this article, and pissin in public?? what?? half of these buisnesses wouldnt allow a homeless person to piss in there toilets, what, we supposed to piss our pants?? instead of passin judgement why dont u get off your proverbial high horse and walk a mile in those shoes, live 2 weeks in harbor light then talk that sheet, and another thing, the majority of these cops, judges,(and by judges i mean people like u and legal judges), when they have a bad day or are faced with stress what they do?? huh? go home drink some beer or go to a bar and do that, if they didnt have a home and they didnt have enough to drink at a bar, what tha phucc would they do? dont throw stones if u live in a glass house, if your such a super person and your so much better, I DARE u to live in a shelter and tell me then what u think of us.
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Strelka 08/09/2009 6:45:00 AM
Would it be that hard for City Pages to interview people living in poverty, people who are homeless, people who have lengthy criminal records? First we were subjected to Matt Snyders' effort to understand the homeless people by pretending to be one. Now this. At a certain point, I don't understand the resistance to doing real journalism. Go down to Currie Avenue any night and you've find 700 people to talk to. Or maybe it's easier to talk to the police instead.
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Keith 08/07/2009 10:02:00 AM
The fact that this article was written and actually approved by the editors of this paper show there are still a lot of people who do not understand basic things about the world. A simple reading of the stories of these individuals conveys a clear sense that most of these people likely have some sort of mental illness. Yes, some of them have done some pretty horrible things (and it's not okay), but a lot of these people are unaware that their actions are not appropriate or acceptable because of their mental illness. Degrading these people for problems that are caused my mental illness or even being mentally handicapped shows a complete lack of understanding and compassion on the part of the writer and editor of this story. As one commenter mentioned, it really is right on the same level of making fun of someone who can't function correctly because they are mentally handicapped. To the writer of this article, I hope in the future you are lucky enough to be blessed to have someone with mental disabilities in your life (in some capacity). I think you'd rethink about the way you look at the world if that happens.
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rick 08/05/2009 9:13:00 PM
this article is exploitative crap. most of these people are addicts and/or mentally ill, and their petty crimes are bullshit compared to what you'd have to put up with in a real city.
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Stan 08/05/2009 6:45:00 PM
The article was certainly worthless and in very bad taste, but what really bothered me was the writing. So snarky & juvenile. I felt like I was reading some eighth grader's list of classmates they don't like. I found it kind of insulting as a reader.
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caylia 08/05/2009 7:56:00 AM
Hmmmm...Erin you are repulsive,insensitive,......I don't even have the words right now. Petty Petty Gimme Gimme Petty Take Gimme Gimme Take. THINK HARDERI I hope shit really hits the fan.
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Maija Liisa Varda 08/05/2009 7:40:00 AM
Have you considered publishing an article about the "Top Ten People Whose Houses Were Foreclosed"? (I mean, what idiot doesn't make their mortgage payments?) How about the "Ten AIDS Patients with an Extremely Low Number of T-Cells"?? That would be absolutely hilarious!
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Maija Liisa Varda 08/05/2009 6:48:00 AM
I found it extremely entertaining to read about some random ten people stealing mouthwash, smoking crack, and drinking until they pass out. I wish all these poor and disadvantaged people would go away too! Mentally unstable people�what a drag! I�m so glad someone finally pointed out how homeless addicts just RUIN everyone else�s lives!
This is really an amazing piece of journalism, one that does not smack of bigotry, social ignorance, and procrastination on an article deadline at all. Bravo.
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Sara 08/05/2009 12:52:00 AM
Nothing like furthering negative stereotypes for minorities. Thankfully, you have shown a list of "the top 10" which has limited practical use in the first place, but contributes nicely to people's already budding (if not fully blossomed) impression that minorities are less trustworthy and more crime-prone. I recognize that perhaps these areas' demographic may be primarily of good, law-abiding minorities, but those reading this article don't see that. They see face after face of specific people who paint a very negative picture for the many. I am extremely offended by your article, and I hope you/your editors consider the implications of your "journalism" next time. I will await an article showing say, the top 10 "heroes" of the area, and I hope there will be just as many minorities represented on this list.
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tom moore 08/04/2009 9:26:00 PM
"Felonious Monk" assumes that "those who haven't been confronted" by the people on this list are the only ones upset about the "article". That's quite an assumption, Felonius.
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Jesse Kwakenat 08/04/2009 7:22:00 PM
Shame on you, Erin Carlyle.
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Ryan 08/04/2009 2:18:00 AM
I have never been so angered by a newspaper in my life. Parading mentally ill, drug addicted citizens "Cultural Revolution style" is unspeakably cruel and disgusting. The humorous tone, the information regarding where these people spend time - everything was absurd. I truly mean it when I say that I will never again pick up this newspaper.
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Felonious Monk 08/04/2009 1:43:00 AM
On The one Hand: Those who have to deal with the people on the list are grateful for this article. On The Other Hand: Those who haven't been confronted by the listmakers appear to find the article unsettling. The article also has favorable portrayals of police officers trying to clean up messes in our fair city. Is this article balanced? I don't know. Does it draw attention to a serious problem? Yes. Are there other related serious problems it could draw attention to? Yes. And I vote for this being good journalism, and further vote for it to be a regular series, updating us on these people and their problems.
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rocka 08/03/2009 10:39:00 PM
This article makes me ashamed, and should make the author and his/her supervisors ashamed. It is in poor taste to create a portfolio of these individuals on the account of how many times they have been sent to prison. There is no meaning behind what this article is saying. We have fucked up people in our city, yes. We send them to jail, yes. THEY DONT CHANGE!!! god forbid. Is this a joke, because anyone with any senses understands that this is not about these people, but about how our social services in the U.S. are lacking immensely and that jail and police officers are not the saviors but perhaps more of a problem. Fuck this insensitive naive approach to journalism. I, along with many of the people I have talked to, believe this to be a disgusting article.
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sebastian 08/03/2009 4:10:00 AM
This article was childish, intellectually short sighted, offensive and perpetuates the same kind of hatred and lack of compassion that helped create and helps sustain the Cities long term homeless crisis.
i think the City Pages owes its readership more than an apology here, i think they owe us an honest article about this issue. there are many tireless advocates for change to the city's policy of criminalzing homelessness and addiction. can we hear from some of them?
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eric 08/02/2009 4:59:00 AM
This was an incredibly offensive piece, Erin. Did you even realize this as you were typing?
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nellze 08/01/2009 11:11:00 AM
Marsbars, You hit the nail on the head!!This should of been included in the article, because it is the truth!!
Thanks for your compassion.
In my opinon altough cops,judges,attorneys,city Council members,and some of the community are aware of the complexity of problem not all of them have compassion towards this problem.
Now in response to "Hey Treana,
Nice comment.....have you ever had anyone grab you in the crotch or molest you in a public place? Well I think if you were a victim of a crime like this you would want others to know so it doesn't happen to them".
Myself a survior of molestation and sexual assualt. I Still find this article distrubing because it takes these obvious unfortunate indivuals and brings them down more.
That facts are our jails are over crowded with people who don't necessarly belong there.The whole system needs an enema.
By the way regarding the comment about " two white people",
your incorrect , it's 1 white person out of 10. Now that raises a whole other layer to the problem, racial profiling!
It needs to stop!! Again the system needs an enema!!
Love and Peace
Nellze
Ps. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method of love.. MARTIN LUTHER KING,Jr.
We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow humans.... HERMAN MELVILLE
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Jess 08/01/2009 8:38:00 AM
If I wanted shameless, sleazy top-10 lists that exploit and mock people, I'd read US Weekly, not a "credible news source." You sicken me.
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josh 08/01/2009 8:26:00 AM
Imagine, Erin Carlyle, and the editors of the City Pages, that you are an individual living in the Twin Cities, and you have a child, parent, brother or sister who is suffering from mental illness, crack addiction, homelessness, etc. Imagine that their illness and/or addiction has led to multiple altercations with the law. Imagine the sadness, worry, shame and anger you must feel concerning your family member.
Then imagine that you pick up your free community "news"paper, and check out the cover story, to find your family member is featured in a "Bum Fights" style profile for the cities to view and mock. Imagine what that must feel like.
Many of the crimes mentioned in your "article" are certainly heinous offenses. Never should anyone have to feel unsafe, stalked, or molested, and these crimes should be dealt with accordingly, and in a serious manner.
However, of the multiple personalities you profiled many had over 50 arrests. One had 175. Upon hearing this, did it not occur to you that maybe your article should have taken a more serious slant toward what is wrong with the penal system in the Cities and around the country?
What purpose does this article serve, other than the fact you got to play sheriff and post "wanted" posters?
This article is an insult to the intellect and common sense of the people of Minneapolis/St. Paul, and a shameless exploitation of people with real problems. Do you get paid by the word? You could have saved your publication some money by submitting, "Crack heads are gross and stupid, here are some pictures for us with better lives to laugh at."
Your article was grossly irresponsible and I shall not read the City Pages again until I am informed of your termination.
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Jen 08/01/2009 8:20:00 AM
I live in south Minneapolis and I agree that livability crimes are a serious concern. I understand that the "frequent fliers" use up many resources - not only in the police department, but also for private businesses and individuals, detox facilities, social services, uncompensated care in ER's, and correctional facilities. I run into some of these folks myself, and I'm not eager to invite them over for dinner.
That said, the sneering tone of your article is offensive. Mocking a chronic street alcoholic and dubbing him "King Listerine" is beyond tasteless. A person who drinks Listerine to get drunk is a desperate person (try it yourself if you thnk it's so hilarious). Regardless of the real problems he causes for the rest of us, you're taking a cheap shot. And making fun of a homeless guy who breaks into cars to get out of the rain, or a woman who prostitutes herself for crack? This is not exactly courageous journalism. Where's the context? What's your proposed solution?
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Rachel 08/01/2009 3:01:00 AM
It's unfortunate that the readers of CityPages are just getting editorial commentary on these top 10 "criminals" instead of the real story behind many of these people. I've worked in multiple homeless shelters for two years now and have met a few of these individuals. Maybe people should be more concerned about how to prevent homelessness and provide access to treatment, housing, social services, and education or job opportunities for people dealing with addiction, mental illness, unemployment, or abuse. Making light of a person's sad story isn't news, it's just mean-spirited gossip.
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cmj 08/01/2009 12:41:00 AM
The tone of the writing is very disappointing. From the condescending nicknames to the fundamental lack of interest in the most important question a journalist can ask: why?
Why are these people routinely causing problems?
Why does every city deal with this?
Why can't the city do something about it?
WHY WAS THIS ARTICLE WRITTEN, WHAT IS THE MESSAGE?
Not to mention...What could be done? What ideas do people have about how we can help these troubled individuals and how we can get them to stop causing problems for the rest of us?
These are all questions that seem
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Matt 08/01/2009 12:20:00 AM
Man, great article Vice Magazine! You dudes are the best...maybe you should start a site like Lookatthisf---inghipster.com except you could make fun of homeless people instead.
man I'm just thoughtstyling here, anyway, holla if you need some help, i know some basic html and stuff....i think it could generate a lot of hits...plus homeless people don't even like the same bands as us, so we don't have to deal with that modicum of self-loathing we feel when we make fun of hipsters...
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John 08/01/2009 12:01:00 AM
This article is disgusting. An incendiary, small-minded piece of trash, and it's terribly written to boot. Shame on the editor that signed off on this.
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David Foureyes 07/31/2009 8:32:00 PM
I agree with Matt Rothchild, mental defectives should be beaten to death vigilante-justice style. Unfortunately, this would likely leave Matt the only remaining inhabitant of Robbinsdale. Just him and his bloody bat of justice.
Dumbass.
I agree with other posters that point out what a shitrag CP has become. Writing an article about a topic as serious as this (I mean, have YOU ever been grabbed in the crotch by a retarded crackhead?) and treating it like an article in Cracked is insulting to the readers, Law Enforcement, caregivers, Glenn Beck, The WORLD.
Being written in the Op-Ed style, my semester of Writing for Journalism tells me the author's outline should have included a latter roman numeral for "Solutions", however it appears to have read more like "I. Top Ten List With Snarky, Empty Commentary II. Conclusion."
CP, please hire at least ONE journalist back, you so desperately need it.
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Matt Rothchild 07/31/2009 2:09:00 AM
�What�s wrong with the system?� asks Minneapolis P.D. Sgt. Greg Reinhardt.
It sounds like what�s wrong is the public has become too dependent on the State to solve every problem, a task to which the State is demonstrably not up to. A reading of this story could tell anyone!
The solution? Empower people to once again take care of their own and police themselves and their neighborhoods. Empowerment to administer well-deserved butt-whoopings and other such community-based justice, as was the case years ago, would be a GREAT start.
It�s a rough world out there and the State, by taking responsibility for the unpleasantries of life, is merely a coddling enabler propping up unreasonable expectations of life. This cannot go on forever.
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Mille 07/31/2009 12:54:00 AM
Hey Treana,
Nice comment.....have you ever had anyone grab you in the crotch or molest you in a public place? Well I think if you were a victim of a crime like this you would want others to know so it doesn't happen to them. Since the judicial system doesn't do anything and keeps letting them out! Shame on you Treana....why don't you go visit them and maybe take Mr. Singletary on a date.....maybe you can keep him from grabbing our crotches.....let him grab yours!
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MarsBars 07/31/2009 12:48:00 AM
This would be nice to have included in the article:
From http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2009/07/reporters_noteb_34.php
"This week City Pages highlights ten of the city's chronic offenders -- the people who constantly commit low-level crimes in Minneapolis neighborhoods. These people are police and prosecution targets. But should they be?
Not according to some of the people who defend them.
"A lot of these people are homeless, mentally ill, chemically dependent, lacking resources in many other ways," says Bob Sorensen, who heads up the adult division of the Hennepin County Public Defender and manages the attorneys often assigned to defend the city's chronic low-level criminals. "Our position is that they shouldn't be punished for their lot in life. And that position runs up against what in many cases is the city's position of essentially advocating on behalf of neighborhoods."
The city, police, social services, and prosecutors have worked together to develop a holistic approach to justice. Police call on the city's homeless shelters and social service groups for help, when arrest isn't the answer. "Often what they've found, and what Chief Dolan has said, is that we can not arrest our way out of this problem," says Monica Nilsson, director of St. Stephen's street outreach, which serves many of the homeless people downtown.
Some of the offenders we've described in our story are homeless--and that problem contributes to their delinquency, Nilsson says. In the past two years, St. Stephen's has found housing for 200 of the downtown homeless. Stable housing helps ground them as they attempt to recover from alcohol or chemical dependency, she says.
Cops, for their part, are aware of the complexity of the problem.
"We can't solve alcoholism by arresting people for a DWI," says Inspector Mike Martin, who is in charge of the North Side. "And yet we're trying to solve mental illness by arresting people for loitering and urinating in public. It's a band-aid. It's a tough one."
"The biggest problem is having an effective solution," says Minneapolis City Attorney Susan Segal."
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Treana 07/30/2009 11:31:00 PM
This article is socially and morally irresponsible. It serves no purpose other than to perpetuate stereotypes. It offers no soultions to the problem nor does it detail the programs already working to help get people off the streets. This is pure exploitation.
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chris 07/30/2009 6:00:00 PM
And City Pages sinks further into irrelevance with this story. You are making fun of sad, mentally ill homeless people with substance abuse problems - and in such a smug way. I assume this is an extension of your high school hobby of making fun of special needs kids.
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MarsBars 07/30/2009 3:25:00 AM
Most Minneapolitans don't know where or what Currie Avenue is, so perhaps we should clear that up since Dominick mentioned it.
Catholic Charities Branch II and Salvation Army's Harbor Light Shelter are both located on Currie Avenue (1000 and 1010, respectively). Currie Avenue is located to the west of the huge parking garage and bus station southwest of the Target Center. You can safely explore Currie Avenue from the safety of your own computer via Google Maps.
When you hear someone say "Tramp Camp," that's it - Secure Waiting Space at Catholic Charities Branch II at 1000 Currie Avenue.
*Insert "The More You Know" logo here.*
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Dominick 07/30/2009 1:01:00 AM
This article reads as it should, a few make it bad for the rest. 8 Years working on Currie Ave., moving drunks, addicts and dealers along, breaking up fights and attending to the wounded are part of the "act" lesson. Jana Metge nows acts with the Downtown Courtwatch, that for the 1st time in my 15 years working for the homeless is addressing these thugs with action. We should be hard on the worst offenders - with prison time. However, the Courtwatch allows us to address mental illness or chemical dependency and get lower level offenders the help they need other than prison. Good job Erin, and I can tell you that if this citizen sees Earl Darling again (who is far more than than a nuisance - I've witnessed him commit 2 assaults against 2 women on the same day and a recent arrest for a lost cause rape) I may just give him some street justice. Peace!
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Saggin 07/30/2009 12:28:00 AM
I figured it was going to be a run of 10 black dudes. But, two white folk had to screw that up.
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Al 07/29/2009 11:42:00 PM
I have a few top ten list ideas:
"Top Ten Rude Customers Terrorizing Uptown Restaurants." This list can include regulars at places like Chipotle and Damico Cucina...the ones who you KNOW have a ton of money but refuse to tip or even make eye contact with the people behind the counter. Example: "Queen Merlot" Lady with Blonde Hair Extensions who keeps getting the bottomless glass of wine, and expects servers to always notice the instant she needs refil. Has never tipped, even once." Obviously show a photo of her getting into her car after 4 to 5 refills.
"Top Ten Gross Guys Who Hang Out at CC Club"
Include photos and personal stories told by actual women who have been victimized by these men. Example: "Nasty Nelson" Nelson appears to be just your average Lyndale Avenue Hipster but he preys on single women. "He always breathes in my face and asks for my number, every time I go there. You can't believe how bad his breath is! When I told him 'no way dude' he called me a B*&ch and said that I must be gay! He's so nasty! He's always there!"
"Top Ten People Who Never Pick Up Their Dog Poop Downtown." Example: "Heather Huskie" Heather has a big huge dog, and leaves a huge mess. She walks him in Steven's Square every afternoon. Neighbors have repeatedly asked her to pick it up, but she always replies, "Its natural fertilizer! Lighten up people!"
(All of these exapmles are fake.) The top ten list that you published is creepy and sensational, and not because of the people commiting the crimes.
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MarsBars 07/29/2009 10:56:00 PM
What about the fact that there are programs that work with people "like this"? The problems are being addressed, but there needs to be more support from the community, including the local media.
This kind of article just makes people more angry and scared of the people walking down the street next to them. It breeds negativity towards our neighbors and insensitivity toward the very real issues these people are facing: racism, discrimination, childhood abuse, mis or undiagnosed mental illness, substance abuse, unlivable wages, ridiculously high rents, the high cost of healthcare, etc.
How about an interview with Judge Hopper or Monica Nilsson of St. Stephen's Street Outreach or Kristen Brown of St. Stephen's Programs to End Long Term Homelessness?
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/07/17/mental_health_courts/
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Mary 07/29/2009 9:32:00 PM
I am a little perplexed by this article. On one hand, I could not agree more that troublesome repeat 'losers' like these deserve some airtime. On the other, I'm a resident/homeowner in the Phillips neighborhood wish that the story would have continued along the lines of the way it was introduced it. It really had me going (blood boiling, the whole thing) with the tale of the woman (Metge) coming home to that horrific scene at her house. Then...what? How does this story work itself into that listing of undesirable citizens?
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dt worker 07/29/2009 9:10:00 PM
Thanks for the article. As a downtown worker who parks in the Target "A" Ramp, I've seen plenty of these folks. Any chance the list of the whole 200 is available somewhere?
The thought of Stillday as a prostitute flipped my stomach, though. Don't you know some people read this as they're eating lunch.
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Bobbi 07/29/2009 8:47:00 PM
Yes, I've seen a number of these clowns. Good to know the police know who they are. Maybe I will make sure I have the Mace and/or Taser ready for the Skyway Jerk-off.
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Jane 07/29/2009 8:33:00 PM
Great article, Erin! These guys are a big pain the ass for the City and its residents. No one knows how to fix them; their problems are intractable and so is their behavior. No one knows how to get rid of them; where would they go even if you could convince them to leave? Really, they need babysitters but instead the police are left trying to minimize the amount of nastiness, inconcenience and harm they do to other people who are simply trying to go about their daily lives. It's like the apprentice in Fantasia.... he had never ending buckets of water, we have never ending buckets of chronic #@%^&%#%%%'s.
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Laurie Zelesnikar 07/29/2009 8:13:00 PM
Re the car-squatter -- "In April 2002, some officers caught him in an alley behind 730 Jefferson Street in Marcy-Holmes, staring at a snowblower." Not a Marcy-Holmes address, which is all Southeast -- this is a Northeast Mpls address, in St. Anthony East.
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eric 07/29/2009 6:54:00 AM
I don't see the point here. Homeless crack addicts and alcoholics with mental issues are the city's biggest crime problem? Sounds as if we have a social services problem, not a criminal problem. Was that your point?
