Prof. Francis Shen Authors Op-Ed in Star Tribune About How Minneapolis Should Reduce Violence

Professor Francis Shen, Solly Robins Distinguished Research Fellow, authored an op-ed in the Minnesota Star Tribune about the best course of action the city of Minneapolis to reduce violence. He said any deterrence plan must be focused, balanced and fair and that the consent decree won’t suffice. But cities like Boston and Oakland offer templates. He writes, “First, it’s time to acknowledge how bad the situation is and immediately adopt a strategy of triage: We must Stop the Bleeding. This phrase, popularized by leading violence-reduction expert Thomas Abt, refers to a focused-deterrence, community-centered approach to reducing urban violence. Just as an emergency room doctor must first stabilize a gunshot victim before addressing underlying health issues, Minneapolis must prioritize targeted, immediate violence reduction before any other reform can truly take hold.”