Meet Shun

Location: Minneapolis Police Department, Third Precinct

3000 Minnehaha Avenue

Shun Tillman is Longfellow’s Crime Prevention Specialist (CPS). He is a Longfellow neighbor by way of the 3rd Precinct, located on the corner of Lake and Minnehaha.  CPS’ are assigned sectors; his sector is the 4th which not only includes Longfellow-greater, but Seward. He’s been in this position for 21 years – having spent all, but a few months in the early 2000s, at the 3rd.

He came from CO with a degree in business. His young son was living here with his mom and Shun came out to visit.  He recalls leaving Apple Valley towards MPLS via Cedar, and that view and thought, “this is where I want to be,” and stayed.

He worked for the City in the parks program; he has special love for kids – and still does.  He was working in the Y-MAP program and asked for an individual to come and talk to the kids from the MPD.  That person told him he was well suited for the CPS position and encouraged him to apply. About 6 months or better after applying he finally was offered the position.

Shun is not a police officer; he’s a civilian employee of the MPD.  His role is that of liaison between the community and the police.  Shun is the person to go to with concerns about ‘problem houses’, crime, abandoned vehicles, difficulty with your neighbor (he participates conflict resolution), really anything that has you concerned.  If it’s not his precise area – he can get you there.  Shun will come to meetings, block parties, or have a visit or phone call with you; CPS is instrumental in the National Night Out and Block Leader program.  Shun is an active member on Longfellow’s Community Connections Committee. He apprises the group on changes in crime levels, events at/with the MPD, and recommends steps to bring the community closer.  He was involved with the Longfellow mural (big smiling sun) that was put up in response to chronic tagging. A successful project!

Shun is a nice man.  He’s really an entrée into our community.  When I first became a homeowner, I was stumped as to how to be a neighbor; what goings-on are OK; when do you call 911 – how do I do this? I got a hold of Shun.  Certainly, the answers now seem obvious but I had this nice man from the police explain to me when to call 911, what is not OK, and if I ever wondered further, I could contact him.  Later we worked together with a large group of neighbors on a troubled property with a troubled resident.  It was a large project that took many strangers to come together under coordination of Shun.  The outcome was a great success, that I still talk about perhaps 15 years later!

That’s Shun; he’s that guy who you meet and then tell someone else that you met him and then chances are they know him too!  Email him at: Shun.Tillman@minneapolismn.gov for questions, meetings, advice, crime alerts and updates – all through this address; I can’t wait for you to meet him – unless you already have!

@MinneapolisPoliceDepartment

@cityofminneapolis

Photo: Jean Des Marais