"You think I'm joking. I'm actually not: It's a bubble machine — and the people who are looking to cause trouble are like, 'I can't look tough around these bubbles.' So they disperse … and people who aren't looking to cause trouble love bubbles."
— Mayor Jacob Frey to Nick on a strategy to deflate crime in downtown Minneapolis.
Reality check: The mayor's office told MinnPost that some businesses have installed bubble machines — as in, the ones often seen at kids' birthday parties — in their parking lots.
But the Minneapolis Police Department says the use of bubbles isn't an official strategy.
Zoom in: An MPD spokesperson said police have added patrols downtown, and businesses are taking their own security measures in addition to the bubbles.
Go deeper with Nick's full interview with Frey at MinnPost Festival.
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