A new approach to stopping juvenile crime is making a significant difference, police say, with help from community groups and families. 

Following the arrest of six juveniles who carjacked a woman in northeast Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara says it wouldn’t have been possible without the work of the “Curfew Task Force.”

“Community policing, at its heart is acknowledging that we are in this together,” Chief O’Hara said. “We’ve had tremendous success from what the initial problem that we had seen,” he added about the task force. 

The task force includes a group of dedicated officers, community groups, and partner agencies working together to curb juvenile crime. It started out of tragedy as last September, following back-to-back deadly weekends downtown, both involving juveniles, the Curfew Task Force was formed.

Since, Chief O’Hara credits it with a 40% reduction in all juvenile violent crime and auto theft, on top of a larger drop in offenders.

“We’ve had a 66% decline in the number of young people getting involved in violence and auto theft and that’s very, very significant,” O’Hara said. 

He also believes it’s helping to strengthen trust within the community, specifically with parents. In multiple cases, including the recent carjacking, some parents called to help track down the kids in the stolen car. 

One of the groups that’s helped with the task force, 21 Days of Peace, says that has been a key part in this work. 

“That’s 95% of it, because if you got the relationship, if the police and community can get parental support, and if the parents you know can say, ‘Hey, listen, we need help’, now we’re able to make to move that needle,” Rev. Jerry McAfee, with 21 Days of Peace, said.  

McAfee says his goal now is to continue to build those relationships to best help the entire family if needed. 

“That’s when we’re operating at our best. You got the police, you got the community, you got the other agencies and stuff working in concert to fulfill their purpose for not just the child, but for the family, because if you heal the child and not the family, you send the child into [dysfunction] all over again,” he said. 

A statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office on Monday said, “Three individuals have been charged in relation to incidents occurring Friday night: a 15-year-old male, a 13-year-old male, and an 11-year-old male. These are complicated investigations that require careful review of available video, forensics, and witness interviews. We are working closely with the Minneapolis Police Department on additional investigation.”