MPR’s Bob Potter discusses CODEFOR with Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. Since Minneapolis began its CODEFOR policing strategy in February of 1998, violent crime in the city is down 16%, property offenses are down 18%, and crimes against persons are down 12%. Sayles Belton says one key is focusing on so-called nuisance crimes.
CODEFOR (Computer Optimize Deployment Focus On Results) involves daily police reports on crime hotspots and extensive questioning of suspects in order to produce leads that could result in more arrests. A similar program in New York City has been credited with double-digit decreases in crime rates.