Crime Spills Into Dozens of Minneapolis Suburbs, Sparking Fear Among Residents

Crime is spilling into some Minneapolis suburbs and causing anxiety among residents, a recent data analysis found.

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Violent crimes have surged in Minneapolis and St. Paul, with a combined record 135 homicides last year, the outlet reported. While violent crimes in the suburbs of the Twin Cities have not reached the same levels, data compiled by the Star Tribune examining 50 of the largest suburbs over the last five years finds homicides have increased in some suburbs.

A combined 51 homicides were recorded in 2021 across suburban areas – with the majority occurring in northern metro suburbs – compared to 22 in 2019. The majority of suburbs did not see an increase in violent crimes, but nearly all suburbs saw increases in property crimes, such as car and catalytic converter thefts, the report found.

“There was a general notion going around that there was an increase in some suburbs in terms of violent crime,” Star Tribune data journalist Jeff Hargarten told KARE 11 of the data. “We really wanted to quantify that.”

He said the crime began increasing in 2020, pointing to the riots and protests of that summer, the coronavirus and various high-profile deaths during police interactions.

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Though violent crimes in the suburbs have not hit the same levels as the Twin Cities and have even remained steady in some residential towns, some locals are fearful.

Crime is “really out of control,” Sharon McWhite told the outlet. “I don’t know if it’s going to get worse this summer.”

McWhite was the target of a purse snatching crime last year in a suburban grocery store parking lot and has seen three of her family members experience thieves stealing their cars from their driveways over the last year.

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Just this week, two teenage girls in the Minneapolis suburb of Golden Valley were carjacked by two boys with a gun while trying to get gas. Police in the town have been investigating five carjackings where the suspects almost always wore ski masks and were armed with handguns {snip}

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