Campaign Update August 1, 2009

Developments in the Reelection, Ensuring Racial Justice, the Nuts and Bolts of Public Safety, and More

Hello,

I hope you’re enjoying this lovely summer.

Before I give you an update on my work as County Attorney, I’d like to invite you to an event I think you’ll enjoy, in celebration of my birthday on August 27th. It’s a “Jambalaya Birthday Celebration and Fundraiser for Melanie Ford” from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the All American Club in Duluth (1931 W. Michigan Street). Hal Moore will be cooking, meaning we’ll be in for some great food. I hope you’ll join us. No birthday presents, please, although donations to my reelection campaign will be welcome! More details on this event will be provided in the coming days, and feel free to call Deb at 218-830-8539 or Barb at 218-349-6681 for more information.

This week I am attending a national conference in Washington D. C. on the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) project for juvenile justice reform. The goal of JDAI is to reduce the disproportionate number of minority youth who are incarcerated. Earlier this year, I applied for and successfully received funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Office of Justice Programs to determine how we can keep youth involved in the justice system in their own community and out of detention whenever possible.

We are using those funds now to analyze data, determine the needs of our youth and the organizations that serve them, and organize stakeholders to find alternatives to the disproportionate number of minority youth currently in detention in St. Louis County. You might have seen me speak some weeks ago about this important undertaking on the “Almanac North” television show. It’s still early, but I’m optimistic that as a result of this project we will see long-term improvement that will keep many more minority youth on a successful path and also keep our communities safer. In addition, I have spoken recently to the Duluth Human Rights Commission about the critical importance of the JDAI projects, and on August 8th I will speak about JDAI at the Minnesota State PTA Conference in St. Paul.

I have recently applied for federal stimulus funds to pay for a national consultant to train my office on anti-racism measures, including how to acquire racism data as well as whether the decisions in our own office are contributing in any way to disproportionate minority detentions. We expect to hear on our application by the end of September.

It will probably come as no surprise in these difficult times that the budget of my office continues to be stretched tight, with every expenditure that was not absolutely essential cut. Unfortunately, I’ve been asked to cut even further, and I am working on a budget compromise. My goal remains watching out for the taxpayers’ money while at the same time protecting the quality of our services.

I continue to attend the monthly community crime prevention meetings held in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Recently, I spoke at that meeting on the intensifying problem of drug addiction and how parents can talk to their children about that threat.

I’m carrying on as well with my goal to reach out to communities across the County, and as a component of that effort I’ve taken part in summer parade festivities in many cities. This summer, I’ve appeared in parades in Ely, Babbitt, Eveleth, Tower, Duluth, Biwabik, Hibbing, Hermantown, Hoyt Lakes, and Cook—and will participate in the Proctor parade later this month.

Melanie Ford in Hermantown Parade, summer 2009.

Melanie Ford with Senator Amy Klobuchar and Attorney General Lori Swanson.

Joining in on these great summer events gives me the opportunity to let people know their elected officials are focused on the needs of their communities, especially in these difficult times. It also allows me to talk with people about their specific concerns. During one parade, a woman approached me to ask whether crime was on the increase in St. Louis County or whether it just felt that way. I let her know that although crime itself is not on the rise, incidents of violent crime are—and that’s something my office continues to work on as we address the key issue of safety in our neighborhoods and communities.

The list goes on, but just briefly I’ll mention I’ve recently participated in a panel discussion on child support issues with the Boyz to Dadz organization; completed the Duluth Fire Department’s “Fire Ops 101” training, where I learned about the importance of prompt response time and its effect on public safety; and presented awards to the children from the 16 schools who participated in our grade school calendar project, designed to help children and their families understand the importance of staying in school.

As these summer days continue, I hope you’ll stay in touch and let me know what’s on your mind. I value your input and your friendship.

And I look forward to seeing you on Thursday, August 27 for the “Jambalaya Birthday Celebration and Fundraiser for Melanie Ford.” I’m working toward four more years as St. Louis County Attorney so I can complete the many important projects I’ve begun, and I hope you’ll join me in that effort.

Thank you,

Melanie Ford
St. Louis County Attorney

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