Minneapolis violence interrupter contracts approved by city council, they are still not working
KSTP 5 Eyewitness News
[{'start': '0.533', 'end': '2.201', 'text': ". ERIC SHALHOUP FIVE. EYEWITNESS  NEWS.  >> THANK YOU, ERIC. NWE  WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYTHING COULD  HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THE  VIOLENCE EARLIER THIS YEAR. YOU  WILL CALL MINNEAPOLIS CITY  COUNCIL APPROVED CONTRACTS WORTH  MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR HALF A  DOZEN VIOLENCE INTERRUPTER  GROUPS. WE ARE TOLD THEY ARE  READY TO GET TO WORK, BUT  WAITING UNTIL CONTRACTS ARE  OFFICIAL. RICHARD REEVES HERE TO  EXPLAIN WHAT THE HOLDUP IS AND  WHEN WE MAY FINALLY SEE THEM ON  PATROL. RICH. YEAH KEVIN, IT IS  A COMPLICATED ISSUE, BUT FIRST  WE WANT TO SHOW YOU THESE CITY  DOCUMENTS THAT REVEAL HOW MUCH  THE CITY IS SPENDING ON THESE  CONTRACTS.  >> $3.4 MILLION TO PAY FIVE  VIOLENCE INTERRUPTER GROUPS. NOW  THE IDEA THAT THESE WOULD BE  PRIVATE, UNARMED GROUPS THAT  WOULD PATROL THE STREETS WORKING  TO HEAD OFF VIOLENCE BEFORE IT  ESCALATES INTO FIGHTS OR EVEN  GUNFIRE BETWEEN TWO GROUPS. WE  SPOKE WITH MAD DADS AND TOUCH  OUTREACH, SAY AFTER THE  COUNCIL'S APPROVAL, THEY HOPED  TO BE OUT ON THE STREETS BY  APRIL 1ST. NOW A MONTH LATER,  AND IN THE WAKE OF MULTIPLE  DEADLY SHOOTINGS IN THE CITY,  THEY SAY THERE IS EVEN MORE  URGENCY.  >> IT SHOULDN'T BE A HOLD UP TO  BE HONEST WITH YOU. YOU KNOW, WE  GOT LIVES THAT'S OUT HERE JUST  DROPPING, YOU KNOW, JUST DYING.  YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE OUT HERE  LOSING THEIR LIVES AND, YOU  KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GETTING SHOT,  WHETHER IT'S VIOLENCE.  >> TODAY WE SPOKE WITH AMANDA  HARRINGTON, THE INCOMING  DIRECTOR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD  SAFETY DEPARTMENT. HARRINGTON IS  IN CHARGE OF GOING OVER  CONTRACTS WITH VIOLENCE  INTERRUPTERS GROUPS. THERE  SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S BEEN A  DELAY. UM, WHY IS THAT?  >> NEGOTIATING THE CONTRACT  DEFINITELY TOOK LONGER THAN WE  EXPECTED.  >> HARRINGTON SAYS THE COUNCIL  DID GIVE CONTRACT APPROVAL, BUT  HER DEPARTMENT STILL HAS TO  NEGOTIATE TERMS. SOME OF THE  RECOMMENDATIONS SHE'S  CONSIDERING INCLUDE BACKGROUND  CHECKS, DRUG TESTING AND HEALTH  INSURANCE. ALL OF THIS, SHE SAYS  , TAKES TIME.  >> THE GROUPS ARE ANXIOUS TO BE  OUT ON THE STREET, JUST LIKE WE  ARE, BUT THERE'S THE TERMS AND  CONDITIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T  NECESSARILY FOUND AGREEMENT ON.  SO WHEN THIS PASSED THROUGH  COUNCIL, WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF  THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS  NEGOTIATED WITH THE INDIVIDUAL  VENDORS, TOUCH OUTREACH STAFFER  SAY THEY HOPE TO GET BACK ON THE  STREETS SOONER THAN LATER.  >> NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ANY GAPS  IN SERVICES RIGHT NOW. WE WERE  SUPPOSED TO BEEN OUT THERE APRIL  1ST, AND HERE WE ARE APPPPROACHG  TODAY'S MAY 1ST. YOU KNOW, SO  THAT'S A HUGE GAP. AND AS YOU  CAN SEE, THE UPTICK IN VIOLENCE  HAS JUST BEEN SPIKING.  >> NOW WHEN COULD WE SEE THESE  VIOLENCE INTERRUPTERS HITTING  MINNEAPOLIS STREETS AGAIN?  HARRINGTON ISN'T PREDICTING ANY  SPECIFIC DATES, BUT SAYS SHE  HOPES ALL FIVE GROUPS WILL BE IN  PLACE AND READY TO GO BY THE  SUMMER. KEVIN  >> OKAY, THAT'S RICH REID AND OF  COURSE, STAY WITH FIVE  EYEWITNESS NEWS AS WE WORK TO  GET YOU MORE ANSWERS ON WHAT'S  BEHIND THESE DEADLY SHOOTINGS  AND HOW YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS"}]