Early in October, Malcolm Gladwell, one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2005, appeared in Minneapolis at two events sponsored by the Council on Crime and Justice discussing changes to the criminal justice system for the future, using the principles in his book "The Tipping Point."
As the city of Minneapolis puts its budget together, officials should look at another treatise of Gladwell, "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking," on the process of arriving at good decisions. One example (page 233) deals with having two police officers in a squad car, something that at first glance may seem to make sense in terms of providing backup and additional safety.
The answer is surprising and is the reason that Gladwell tells us that many well-run police departments have moved to one-person squad cars. Two-person cars have a far worse record of complaints filed against them for grievous incidents. The simple reason is that a single officer will move more slowly with reduction of bravado. As Gladwell states, "when police officers are by themselves, they slow things down and when they are with someone else, they speed things up -- a policeman by himself takes more time to analyze the situation, waiting for a back up and is not prone to violence."
Gladwell goes into detail about several of the cases of police behavior that shocked the nation (like Amadou Diallo shot 41 times by police in the Bronx while just trying to get into his own house). We should note that in both the recently settled case of Duy Ngo ($4.5 million cost to the city) and the still to be determined case of park policeman Mark Bedard killed by a police car, squad cars with two officers were involved. On a more pedestrian issue, a squad car responding to a plant vandalism episode in my neighborhood also came with two officers.
These settlement amounts are a shocking postscript to the obvious financial savings of one rather than two officers to a squad car. When will Minneapolis join other police departments that have made this sensible change?
STATE REP. PHYLLIS KAHN, DFL-MINNEAPOLIS
There goes the neighborhood Your Nov. 28 article "An energy model for all to see," about a wind turbine in Maple Grove, certainly tells it all! I am looking out my front window and see this eyesore!
My husband and I specifically chose to live in Maple Grove three years ago as we were very impressed with their "master plan" of residential and commercial. It was very well orchestrated. Note that I say "was." This vulgar wind turbine completely desecrates this once wonderful Arbor Lakes area. Now, don't get me wrong; I am not saying that I do not agree that wind turbines have their place and are certainly an alternative energy source, but the once-beautiful Arbor Lakes area is not the place.
We were recently in the Palm Springs, Calif., area. Take a lesson: Outside of the city, far away from any residential or commercial development, they had a large area of wind turbines. Great!
I can't believe that the Maple Grove City Council would approve this monstrosity. Maybe it was a very late night when it came on the agenda and they all just wanted to go home and so approved it. What will they approve next? A 160-foot giant donut for Krispy Kreme, or a 160-foot super-sized rack of ribs for Famous Dave's?
MARY EASTWOOD, MAPLE GROVE
Will education come to the archbishop? My thanks to Nick Coleman for his Nov. 28 column on future Archbishop John Nienstedt's recent statement accusing those who promote a homosexual lifestyle as cooperating in a grave evil.
The Roman Catholic Church supports an Institute of Sciences at the Vatican, yet it continues to ignore the medical research and evidence based understanding of sexual orientation, as well as the potential harm associated with homophobia.
The new archbishop indeed needs to educate himself on the topic of sexual orientation. His recent regressive statements on homosexuality do damage to the lives of countless innocent people.
This is truly the grave evil of this whole matter.
MARK BISIGNANI, MINNEAPOLIS
Responsible hunters don't overload assault rifles Regarding the Nov. 29 reader letter on assault rifles: The writer misses the fact that the AR-style sporting rifles can accommodate a 30 round magazine -- as an option.
That does not mean a hunter would have to load 30 rounds into it, or even own or use a 30 round magazine.
Just as the more "traditional" hunting rifles can accommodate multi-round magazines, most responsible hunters using AR-style rifles for sporting purposes load only the same three- to five-round maximum.
Could it be that the writer shares the same "fear" of a weapon simply styled after assault rifles, despite their legitimate and legal sporting uses?
The same irrational "fear" that Dennis Anderson's Nov. 25 column succinctly sought to assuage?
BRIAN MAGINNIS, MEDINA
Third District should send Madia to Washington It seems like these days that our options consist only of spineless politicians who can't stand up to protect our American values, and those who are all too ready to abandon our most cherished principals of liberty with warrantless wiretaps, spying on American citizens, and torture. Have we lost our minds?
That's why I am so relieved that Ashwin Madia is running for Congress in Minnesota's Third District.
As a Marine Corps attorney serving in Baghdad, Ashwin worked to begin building the rule of law in Iraq. As a congressman, he will work to restore the rule of law in our country. Ashwin knows that we can protect our safety without abandoning our values. He is exactly the strong leadership we so lack in Washington right now.
That's why I support Ashwin Madia as the only candidate in the Third District who can deliver on the American promise for Minnesota.
MICHAEL J. GRAIF, MINNETONKA
