MINNEAPOLIS — The Hennepin County Attorney is teaming up with local law enforcement in a new collaboration to curb the recent string of auto thefts involving juveniles, even as parent groups express their own concerns about youth crime and the law enforcement response.
"We know our youth are in crisis," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said at a news conference. "What we are trying to do is intervene ... because we cannot ignore the early warning signs."
The new effort involves collaborative meetings between law enforcement and a team made up of county attorneys, child protective services, social workers and educators to identify and share information about at-risk youth. The group can then contact families and connect them with community resources.
Moriarty said the string of car thefts started with a viral online video showing kids how to easily steal certain models of cars; some of the youths involved have been as young as 10 years old.
Moriarty said the goal of the new collaboration is to intervene early to avoid escalating criminal activity and keep kids out of the criminal justice system.
However, when kids are arrested, the county attorney's office will now work to reach charging decisions more quickly: within one day for youths admitted to juvenile detention, and within five days for kids who are not detained.
Cases involving kids who flee law enforcement will also now be subject to judicial review.
"This model seeks to challenge the traditional model of court-ordered intervention at the end of a charged case," Moriarty said.
A group of Black parents, community members, and youth organizations hosted their own noon news conference to discuss concerns about the rise in youth car thefts and high-speed police chases conducted in response.
They said while the plan is a step in the right direction, they were unaware a plan was developing and hope community collaboration will be a key factor moving forward.
“That is a good thing that they are working on a plan,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, the executive director of the Wayfinder Foundation. “But one of the things that I think is needed is community input and involvement and parental input and involvement.”
Levy Armstrong was one of the community leaders and activists who said there is concern about the inclusion of all communities in the plan.
“We want to ensure that there's cultural competency and that there's diversity in terms of who shows up at a family's door,” Levy Armstong said.
Sharon El-Amin, chair of the Minneapolis School Board, wanted to focus on problems youth of color are facing.
“Our children are coming to school after these dramatic experiences of losing a friend,” said El-Amin. “Of being in some of those cars of showing up back at school the next day without having the opportunity to deal with the trauma that they are faced with“
“This is way overdue,” said Chauntyll Allen, the Saint Paul School Board Director. Allen also wants to see more investment in youth programs like financial literacy and career readiness.
“Had they started investing in our young people years ago them folks would have a direction to go that is positive,” said Allen.
Many also condemned law enforcement and its handling of high-speed pursuits. Earlier in the month, seven were hospitalized in another police pursuit of a car full of kids.
“They can't go down the middle of streets chasing at high speed 13, 14, 15-year-olds,” said Titilayo Bediako with the WE WIN Institute.
The group advocated for more community collaboration when lawmakers and police officers make decisions about how youth crime is handled.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara spoke only to KARE 11's Jana Shortal about ongoing concerns surrounding stolen cars and kids.
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