Eastside Defender

The Eastside Defender regularly alerts its readers when prosecutors are seeking statements about the harm caused by particular bad guys or types of crime. Here are some general instructions for filing Community Impact Statements from the Minneapolis Police Department:

1. Anyone who is influenced by the crime can complete the Community Impact Statement, and the statement can be filled out for past or present cases. You may either write a community impact statement about how a type of crime has affected you or how a specific crime has affected you. The more specific about the crime, the more powerful.
2. When completing a community impact statement, the more specific you can be the more helpful it is for the judge. Tell about the way that the crime has influenced the way that you live, the things that you do, and the way that you feel.
3. Statements should include all adverse social or economic effects the offense has had on people who reside in the neighborhood where the offense was committed.
4. Describe in the impact statement how the illegal activity has impacted you and your family, including how it has affected your normal way of living. Give specific examples, e.g., being constantly awakened at night by loud arguments, music, and horn honking; fearing to have the children in the household be out at night; or having neighbors or friends decline from coming to your home.
5. It is okay to list multiple areas of impact but keep your statement concise and direct.
6. You may tell a story (concisely) behind some of your statements. This serves two purposes: First it makes the victimization tangible for the judge. Secondly it allows the community to speak for individuals without requiring that the individual be present.
7. Impact statements can either be compilation of people, signed by all; or individual statements prepared by several people. If you are writing as a group, state who you are, a neighborhood association, a block of residents, residents sharing a corner, etc.
8. Tell the judge what you need to return to your status before the crime(s) were committed. The goal is to give the judge information s/he can use when sentencing or ordering conditions of probation for the defendant. Be creative and try to avoid overly retributive suggestions. The judge will most likely respond to a suggestion that restores both the victim and the offender. Community service, restitution, no contact/trespass orders and chemical dependency evaluation are all tools that the judge has access to. Let the judge know if any of these results would help restore you and your way of life.

When submitting a CIS, please include the offender’s name, and any dates you witnessed a possible offense. Your name, address and telephone number are also helpful to the prosecutor. For those reluctant to give their personal info, some neighborhood organizations will allow you to use their address and phone.
-

If you need help or have questions, please call or email; Carol Oosterhuis, Crime Prevention Specialist, 2nd Precinct (612) 673-2874 Carol.Oosterhuis@ci.minneapolis.mn.us and she will help you. Thank you.