Readers Write: Police and the Lake Street raid, Minneapolis mayoral race, Mary Moriarty, vaccines

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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On June 3, when armed federal agents — including masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — showed up on E. Lake Street, those at the scene were correct to immediately sound an alarm but not to spread misinformation accusing the Minneapolis Police Department of violating the city’s separation ordinance and calling for the police chief to be “held accountable for working with ICE.” The City Auditor’s after-action report this week confirmed that the MPD fully complied with the separation ordinance while performing its legally mandated crowd-control function (“Auditor clears Mpls. in fed raid,” Aug. 6).

The facts are that the MPD showed up as required by city ordinance to “protect public peace” and “safeguard the lives and property” of residents. The MPD found an angry crowd facing off against a federal force armed with assault rifles that videos show had ammo clips inserted and fingers on triggers. We are grateful that the MPD escorted that armed force out of the neighborhood before any of our residents were hurt.

We urge the five mayoral candidates who demanded that Chief Brian O’Hara be held “accountable” for working with ICE — when in fact officers were protecting our citizens against this force — should issue corrections of their positions with constituents. As we expect more of this type of intrusion by federal agents, we urge all of our city leaders — as well as candidates for elected office — to allow facts to emerge before making misstatements.

Catherine Shreves, John Satorius and Greg Hestness, Minneapolis

Catherine Shreves and John Satorius are co-chairs of the Plymouth Congregational Church Reimagining Community Safety Group. Greg Hestness is a retired deputy chief of the Minneapolis Police Department and retired chief of University of Minnesota Police.

OK, here’s a test for Minneapolis voters: Off the top of your head, name a single major accomplishment achieved by Frey in his 7 ½ years as mayor. I’ll wait. Finding it difficult?

If someone asked me the same of Fateh’s recent tenure as state senator, I’d have to decide between the North Star Promise Act, which made higher education feasible for thousands of lower-income Minnesotans; the legalization of fentanyl test strips, which saves the lives of people who could otherwise potentially die of a fentanyl overdose without even knowing what they were taking (as did my own brother-in-law in the very month before the act was passed); and the bill to ensure that Uber and Lyft drivers were paid a living wage. Fateh led on all those initiatives, and they were based on the desire to make a real difference in his constituents’ lives, not to serve any ideological agenda.

If you want “results” rather than showboating, vote DFL-endorsed Fateh for mayor.

Jason McGrath, Minneapolis

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Voters could rank Davis and Hampton or others as their second and third choices. As the counting begins, the candidate with the fewest votes is dropped and their voters’ second-choice votes go to remaining candidates. As the counting continues and candidates drop, the voters’ next-choice vote is moved to remaining candidates, and so on, until someone gets 50% plus one and is declared the winner.

The beauty of ranked-choice voting is that the winner will be the one with the broadest support, and that person may well be Fateh or Frey, but then again the winner might be Davis or Hampton. Stay tuned ...

Paul Rozycki, Minneapolis

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office needs another reformer (“County attorney role draws interest,” Aug. 8). Someone who recognizes how important the office is within the entire network of the criminal justice system. That person must return to policies that hold the guilty accountable.

Current County Attorney Mary Moriarty engaged in a dual role of prosecutor and social worker. That is not the mission of the office. If the county prosecutor isn’t going to be tough on crime, who is? In their formative years, juveniles need to be dealt with strictly — not because we like it, but because we need to modify their behavior. Unfortunately, too many have little or no guidance from their home life. Society only has a few chances to correct aberrant behavior and the chief law enforcement officer is critical. While there is a place for diversion programs, punitive measures must be favored.

Moriarty’s tenure has been fraught with controversy so much so that a Brooklyn Park homicide prosecution involving two juveniles was taken away from her by Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. Let’s not forget about the Husayn Braveheart carjacking case and the Trooper Ryan Londregan incident. Yes, a reformer is needed to return the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to one that delivers impartial prosecution, not engages in capricious and whimsical agendas.

Joe Polunc, Waconia

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With regard to Moriarty’s announcement that she will not seek a second term as Hennepin County attorney, I think Kenny Rogers said it best. “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away.” The cards are not in her favor.

Joel Brand, Richfield

This is not science, not medicine, not health, not a government that protects us. This is very, very bad.

Mary Wells Gorman, Richfield

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I just read the article about RFK canceling contracts for mRNA vaccines. This continues his pattern of implementing changes that reject proven science, which will inevitably result in unnecessary deaths and illness. It’s so sad to see the U.S., formerly a leader in public health, become ground zero for fake science, unproven treatments and conspiracy theories.