Todd Loining is back where he started, and says he is happy to be here. The Minneapolis Police Inspector is the new head of the department’s 2nd Precinct, the unit where he began his career as a patrolman 24 years ago.
The appointment was part of a reshuffling of upper department staff by Chief Janee Harteau in July. Loining and Inspector Kathy Waite swapped posts, with Waite taking over the 5th Precinct which Loining had headed for the past two years.
Loining, who has been at his new job for six weeks, was introduced by First Ward Council Member Kevin Reich at a forum on Tuesday, September 13. Reich said that rotating leadership to new posts is not only good for professional development, but helps increase the level of police and residents’ connections.
Loining began his remarks to the forum, held in the meeting room of the Firefighters Hall and Museum, by saying: “It’s not all about us as police; it’s also about the partnerships with members of the community; we have to help each other.”
He reflected on his police career, which began in 1993 as a patrolman, moving to the Domestic Assault and Internal Affairs units. He became a lieutenant in 2012, and was appointed inspector of the 5th Precinct (Uptown area) in 2014. His comment that he still lives in the city drew applause from the audience.
Loining delivered a brief year-to-date precinct crime report. Overall violent crime is down 9%; domestic assaults down 26%; aggravated assaults down 17%. There were four homicides in the precinct this year, compared to last year’s one. He noted that arrests had been made in three of the homicide cases. Larceny and auto theft had large increases. Loining said a lot of the larceny cases were shoplifting and thefts from cars and that the precinct is now using bait cars.
Almost every one of the 20 people in the audience had a question or comment. A woman asked whether Hondas were still the most-often stolen cars (“Now there’s no one make of car that stands out”); a man asked about bodycams (“All officers will have them and the necessary training by the end of October”). Two people asked about pedestrian safety (“Street safety issues are definitely on our minds; we make a lot of traffic stops”).
A woman asked what kind of advice Loining would give young families moving into Northeast Minneapolis who are concerned about crime and safety, to which he replied: “Meet your neighbors, lock your cars and garages, and join a block club.”
Photo by Mark Peterson
