BY KAY SCHROVEN
While violent offenses in Hennepin County year to date have increased 5 percent over 2023, property offenses have decreased 6 percent, and auto thefts have decreased a strong 25 percent. Auto thefts are also down in Minneapolis year to date, with 3,895 this year (Aug. 5, 2024) compared with 5,118 at this time last year.
Carjacking figures in Minneapolis have remained flat. According to Crimegrade.org the rate of vehicle theft in Hennepin County is 3.073 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. Thanks to trending on TikTok we know that Kia and Hyundai autos are especially vulnerable because they lack engine immobilization devices.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty
Youth auto crimes are difficult to track and only 2 percent are caught and identified. They are also difficult cases to prove, with only 4 percent solved. “Joy Riding” (stealing a car, riding around, then abandoning it) is often done in groups of five to ten youth. Muhammad (Mo) Abdul-Ahad, Executive Director of T.O.U.C.H. Outreach points out that, “If these youth saw the possibility of actually obtaining a driver’s license and someday owning a car they may be diverted from Joy Riding crimes.”
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty was able to reallocate funds to create her program known as Youth Auto Theft/Early Intervention Initiative. Hennepin County was also one of a few recipients of a Federal Grant for Youth. She began by arranging for law enforcement to submit data and referrals (throughout the county) of youth in trouble and in need of help. HCAO reviews the referrals and determines those eligible for the program.
Moriarty’s year-old program, designed to prevent youth auto theft and car-jacking, may have something to do with the 25 percent drop. The program is a unique collaboration amongst prosecutors, local law enforcement and social workers. The goal is early intervention BEFORE a youth is charged and prosecuted in the court system. When a youth (exhibiting a leaning toward criminal behavior) and their family are connected to needed services the likelihood of crime is lowered and communities become safer.
When young people commit an auto related crime and are submitted to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) the office is committed to making quicker decisions. Quicker action (3 to 10 days) reduces the likelihood of future car thefts by insuring accountability and intervention. HCAO data shows the recidivism rate for youth charged with auto theft who are not diverted is 60 percent. That is, if intervention is not swift the possibility of a youth committing more major crimes escalates.
Town meeting
On July 30, Moriarty held a Town Hall meeting for those involved and interested in this program at 1256 Penn Ave. N. There were about 30 people in attendance. Following a pizza dinner Moriarty and her team gave a presentation, followed by a Q&A session. Here’s what we learned.
Since June 2023, 81 percent of 95 participants referred to voluntary services had no new charges (as of May 15, 2024). 205 were referred in the first year; 50 percent were screened in; 105 were already in the system. Most were referred for social services such as housing assistance, mental health care, etc. 48 percent reduction in the number of youth auto cases submitted to HCAO.
Between June 23, 2023, and June 23 in 2024, 85 percent of the youth in the program did not have new cases (did not re-offend). There is a 30 percent drop in reported auto thefts (Jan. to May 2024 over 2023).
There is a 49 percent drop in referrals coming in re: youth auto related offenses (Jan. to May 2024 over 2023).
Sara Davis, Director of Child and Families Div. of Hennepin Co. Attorney’s Office studies youth who commit crimes. She shares with us that studies of youth who commit crimes indicate that almost all have had trauma in their young lives. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the brain does not finish developing until the mid-late 20s. The pre-frontal cortex (located behind the forehead) is the last part of the brain to mature. This is the part of the brain that coordinates planning and decision making. Because of this, a teen’s response to stress is different than adults, especially if there is mental illness or a history of trauma. Even a lack of sleep can affect a teen’s decision making.
“Time is of the essence; we cannot prosecute our way out of this,” says Kenneth Garnier, a social worker for 30 years, 17 of them with Hennepin County. Mr. Garnier has worked closely with youth and their families to inform and influence, “lending a hand not pointing a finger.” Garnier describes the need for “tailored” and on-going services, because each case is different, and the needs vary. That is, “One size does not fit all.”
He further points out that youth are more accountable to people than rules. That is, effective intervention is voluntary and “relational.”
The first year
The first year of this program shows promise. Between June 2023 and March 2024, 85 percent of the youth in the program did not have new cases (did not re-offend). There is a 30 percent drop in reported auto thefts between January and May 2024 over 2023. There is a 49 percent drop in referrals coming in re: youth auto related offenses (Jan. to May 2024 over 2023).
Yet, there are unique cases where a youth is a violent sociopath or sadist and if they are not treated as an adult and put into prison for life, they may very well harm many more people. In these rare cases, a fitness hearing will occur applying the criteria to determine juvenile fitness. If a youth does not meet the criteria, they are referred to adult court where they are charged and tried as adults.
The Hennepin Youth Auto program is available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day for families with children ages 5 to 18 at no cost. You can expect representatives of the program to focus on de-escalation, short-term services and connection to on-going support systems. hennepinattorney.org.
Citizen information: 612-348-2146.
