For Immediate Release
May 7, 2008
The Minneapolis City Council has set May 21 as the date for the public hearing over the city's Lurking Ordinance. Council member Cam Gordon introduced a repeal of the ordinance, which reads: "No person, in any public or private place, shall lurk, lie in wait or be concealed with intent to commit any crime or unlawful act (385.80)." As a member of the Coalition to Repeal the Lurking Ordinance, the ACLU-MN argues that the law is unconstitutionally vague, giving police officers too much discretion in determining if a person is about to commit a crime. It has been proven that the ordinance is being used in a discriminatory manner. In an analysis of arrest data from 2003 through 2007, it has been found that African Americans are 8 times as likely to be arrested for lurking compared to Caucasians, and a homeless person is 20 times as likely to be arrested as a non-homeless person. After the public hearing on May 21, the City Council's Public Safety Committee will decide whether to recomend or not recomend a repeal of the Lurking Ordinance to the full Council If you would like to help put an end to this discriminatory law you can: - Tell your Minneapolis City Council member to support the repeal of the Lurking Ordinance. Council members' contact information can be found at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/
- Come to the public hearing at 1:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber Room 317, City Hall.
- Download a fact sheet on lurking to learn more
- Contact Jana Kooren to find out more ways to volunteer or to sign up to speak at the public hearing. 651.645.7 4097 x123 or jkooren@aclu-mn.org,
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