Dear Neighbor,
This week Minnesota lost another law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty. Red Lake Nation Public Safety Officer Ryan Bialke, age 37, was shot during an incident and later died from those injuries. Please pause and consider the critical role that our public safety professionals play in protecting the safety of all.
Our part of Minnesota is no stranger to this kind of tragedy. It will be 6 years this October since Aitkin County Sheriff's Deputy Steven Sandberg was shot and killed while monitoring a domestic violence suspect at the St. Cloud Hospital. The tragic event involving Officer Bialke is a stark reminder of the pain our community has also endured.
Recently the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension issued their annual Uniform Crime Report which covers calendar year 2020.
The report indicates that a total of 14,589 violent crimes were reported in Minnesota during 2020, compared to 12,509 10 years ago. The number of violent crimes per 100,000 people overall in 2020 was 257.9, compared to 221.8 per 100,000 in 2019. While the report indicated a decrease in reported rapes and human trafficking, incidents of murder, robbery, and aggravated assaults saw significant increases.
• Murder - 185 in 2020 versus 117 in 2019, an increase of 58.1 percent.
• Robbery - 3,885 robberies in 2020 compared to 3,081 in 2019, a 26.1 percent increase.
• Aggravated Assault - 8,203 in 2020 compared to 6,742 in 2019, a 21.7 percent increase.
Last year’s 185 murders set’s a record topping the previous 1995 record of 183 murders. During 2020 there were 667 law enforcement officer assault incidents involving 794 individual officers.
There is a bit of good news for us in here rural Minnesota in this report. Crime rates in rural Minnesota are significantly lower when compared to the metro area. For example, in the 9th Judicial District which includes Aitkin and Crow Wing Counties, as well counties north and west all the way to Kittson County, the violent crime rate was 161 per 100,000 population. In the 2nd and 4th Judicial Districts in the metro area, the violent crime rate was well over double that.
Let’s all work hard to keep our part of Minnesota safe. Please don’t miss an opportunity to thank a peace officer for the important job they do.
Sincerely,
Dale