On March 23, 1998 the new Cable Channel 34 show “MPD Live” had its premiere.
The show was created to provide Minneapolitans with crime prevention strategies and safety tips and to give them the opportunity to get to know Minneapolis Police Officers.
In the beginning, the hosts of “MPD Live” were Jim Long, a Crime Prevention Specialist Supervisor, and Matt McClean, an Officer in the Fifth Precinct.
The show was broadcast live every other Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm from a first floor room in City Hall. There were special guests from the Minneapolis Police Department, city government, and the community each week along with calls from viewers. Hosts and guests answered viewers’ questions about safety and police work.
Minneapolis Police Chief Robert Olson was the show’s inaugural guest. He came back a year later, in 1999, to help celebrate the first anniversary of the show.
On the first anniversary show, Chief Olson spoke about the decrease in crime since the previous year and the success of the CODEFOR program which was a system created to analyze crime data and send officers to crime hotspots.
Of “MPD Live”, Chief Olson said, “What a venue to get citizens constantly reeducated about the little things that could be the difference between being the victim of a crime or not.”
The show was produced by a combined team of paid staff and volunteers and cost between $200 and $300 per episode to broadcast.
In its first year, “MPD Live” covered housing issues, community crime prevention strategies, and information about the operations of the 911 system. There was a visit from a K9 and his Officer. A man serving time in the Hennepin County Workhouse for burglary made a special appearance on the show to discuss how he committed his crimes and how people could avoid becoming victims of theft.
Top photograph and story from the Minneapolis StarTribune of March 24, 1999