Better Minneapolis has previously raised concerns about the Neighborhood Safety Department. Out of a genuine desire to see the program succeed, I invited Amanda Harrington to join the podcast. Following the high-profile departure of her predecessor, Luana Nelson-Brown, the department enters a pivotal phase.
Director Harrington brings a reasoned approach, a strong public service background, and a clear commitment to reform. These are encouraging signs. Our conversation left me more optimistic about the department’s direction under her leadership.
Notably, Harrington was willing to engage in a direct and candid discussion about the department’s challenges and progress. That transparency is essential and welcome.
Crime at 46th & Hiawatha underscores why residents continue to list public safety as the top concern in this election.
On June 30, the Star Tribune published an article by Susan Du titled, “Drugs and crime are plaguing a Minneapolis transit station. Neighbors say there is only one option.” The story centers on a public walkway connecting the 46th & Hiawatha train station with the surrounding neighborhood. Residents want it closed due to persistent problems with public drug use, break-ins, and trash.
The article surfaces several difficult issues. The response from Ward 12 City Council Member Aurin Chowdhury underscores why many residents are frustrated with current leadership. Chowdhury acknowledged that recent efforts to address crime at other stations like Franklin and Lake had pushed the problem farther down the line. “If you push people around without resources that help lift them out of the situation they’re in, they’re going to go to another place, absolutely,” she said.
While that may be true, it sidesteps the core concern: what is the city doing to secure this specific area and others like it? If resources are lacking, what efforts are being made—by the city, county, and Metropolitan Council—to find them? It’s reasonable for residents to want a more detailed plan from elected officials. Instead, the proposed solution is hiring private security to patrol the station from noon to 8 p.m., which is a limited and temporary response.
Meanwhile, residents continue to pay for multiple overlapping security layers: private contractors, safety ambassadors, Metro Transit security, the Hennepin County Sheriff, and the MPD. We also fund the transit system itself. The Metropolitan Council’s 2025 budget for public transportation is over $723 million. This investment is undermined if people avoid the system because they do not feel safe.
Social Media Warriors
The online reaction to the Star Tribune article was troubling. Instead of engaging in a thoughtful debate about what combination of publicly funded substance abuse programs, housing support, poverty reduction, and security measures might curb the behavior described, many chose to attack the residents quoted in the piece.
In what amounts to a serious breach of privacy, some users investigated tax records of those mentioned. Rather than consider the underlying challenges—addiction, inequality, and gaps in city services—critics aimed to discredit the residents' concerns entirely. Some questioned whether they were even real people. Others scolded them for expecting anything different after buying near a transit line.
The message was clear: if you speak publicly about crime in your neighborhood, you may become the target of a campaign to discredit you. Whether your concerns are valid is treated as irrelevant.
The Debate Over Public Spaces
Ideally, Minneapolis would offer public spaces that are safe, welcoming, and accessible to all. Instead, too many sidewalks and underpasses are fenced off, buildings are surrounded by barbed wire, and millions are spent on security. The public debate over this reality has, in our view, veered off course. Rather than acknowledging that some public areas have been overtaken by illegal activity—causing many residents to avoid them—certain groups have chosen to blame the city for erecting barriers.
The city did not create the conditions of poverty and addiction visible on our streets. While local officials can adjust budgets to strengthen the social safety net, they are not the source of economic inequality. The city has little influence over tariffs, hedge funds, or the impact of large corporations on the economy. The cost of groceries—and many other essentials—lies beyond City Hall’s control. Yet the city is increasingly asked to respond—and rightly so, to a degree—because Minneapolis aspires to be a place where all residents can thrive. It invests tax dollars in social services, even if those efforts fall short of fully meeting the need. Hennepin County also plays a significant role in delivering these services.
Still, the decision to close public spaces merits serious debate. It signals a deeper systemic failure. Frustration over the need to cordon off public areas is valid. But that conversation cannot happen if residents are vilified simply for describing what they see in their neighborhoods. Such attacks entrench division and stifle progress.
To move forward, we need a more honest civic dialogue—one that acknowledges lived realities, respects opposing viewpoints, and seeks solutions rooted in both safety and compassion.
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Summary of Interview with Amanda Harrington, Director of Neighborhood Safety
Amanda Harrington, newly appointed Director of the Neighborhood Safety Department, brings a deep background in social work and public service, including experience with Minneapolis Public Schools and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. She joined the city during a significant transition—shifting from the former Office of Violence Prevention to the current departmental structure under the Office of Community Safety. Harrington emphasized that the department’s role is to support public safety beyond emergency response, focusing on prevention and restoration services, and integrating efforts with a variety of partners from nonprofits to county agencies.
The department currently oversees two major types of community-based safety initiatives: violence interrupters and safety ambassadors. Violence interrupters operate on a model that treats violence as a contagion and aim to de-escalate conflicts in high-risk areas before they escalate. Safety ambassadors, modeled after downtown improvement efforts, provide a visible, non-enforcement presence in targeted corridors like Lake Street and Franklin Avenue. They assist with livability issues, connect individuals to resources, and will eventually be deployable via a city dispatcher.
Harrington acknowledged past concerns about financial oversight and duplication with county services but highlighted new internal controls, training, and coordination with Hennepin County to reduce overlap and improve accountability. She also addressed public and council skepticism by emphasizing transparency efforts, such as standardized contract expectations and upcoming public data dashboards to track service outputs and community perceptions of safety. The department currently has 17 staff and is close to fully staffed.
Looking ahead, Harrington views community feedback and public trust as critical measures of success. She noted that the department is not under the scope of the police consent decree but emphasized that their work complements those reforms. The ultimate goal, she stressed, is building a functioning “community safety ecosystem” that combines enforcement with broader social support, emphasizing that true safety includes both statistical reductions in crime and residents’ sense of well-being.
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