After a months-long spike in violence surrounding a troublesome intersection in downtown Minneapolis — culminating in the deaths of two young men and a teenage girl last month — Police Chief Brian O’Hara expressed encouragement on Tuesday over a quieter trend over the two most recent weekends, and he credits a new strategy called the “Curfew Task Force.”

North 5th Street and Hennepin Avenue became a hotspot this summer for young people, particularly juveniles, to gather around bar close, according to Chief O’Hara.

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The last two weekends, though, passed without “significant violent incidents.” That doesn’t mean the problem is solved, but it was enough evidence for O’Hara to confirm on Tuesday that the department will continue to use the Curfew Task Force strategy on weekends for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve been out there myself at night each of the last two weekends, and it has been different,” O’Hara said. “I think it’s been a different feel downtown the last two weekends, and it’s been a lot safer than it had been before that.”

The Curfew Task Force is, essentially, an expanded use of violence interrupters from several organizations, all concentrated around the intersection overnight on the weekends.

Together, they’ve connected with nearly 80 kids over two weekends, and according to data provided by MPD, significantly fewer kids showed up at all this past weekend: 32 contacts versus 50 the weekend prior.

The role of the community-based organizations, including We Push For Peace, in the reduction of activity downtown, “I think it’s huge,” O’Hara commented.

“The message has gotten out that there is a curfew downtown, that community partners are standing with us to enforce it,” he continued. “And quite frankly, they’re very good at helping to resolve conflict and try and, you know, divert some of that energy that’s out there with young people into a more positive means than simply being out on the street.”

Like the chief, city leaders in the Office of Community Safety were glad to see progress downtown, but all remained wary of the larger issue.

“Youth are committing more serious crimes than they ever had before,” Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette said in a separate interview on Tuesday.

Barnette said he’ll leave crime response strategy to the Chief of Police, and he’d like to see the “data-driven response” continue.

Amanda Harrington, Director of Community Safety Design and Implementation, has a background in juvenile services.

“We’re resource-rich, but there’s a lack of trust sometimes,” she said. “And so, I think part of what we need to do is just re-establish trust between community partners, between governmental agencies that offer supports to families, and the families and the youth. We need to access them.”

If the situation downtown continues to improve, Chief O’Hara said he would consider utilizing the Curfew Task Force strategy in future hotspots in hopes of slowing what remains a juvenile crime crisis.

“I’m hopeful that we can end this year, making it better than last year,” he said.