Suburban mayors react to crime concerns after carjacking incidents in St. Louis Park and Edina | St. Louis Park

The police chiefs wanted mayors and city managers to be aware of policies from the county attorney’s office they felt had been contributing to an uptick in crime in the region, according to St. Louis Park Mayor Jake Spano.

In particular, Spano noted that police chiefs expressed concern that the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office had indicated they would not seek bail for suspects for some crimes, including thefts in excess of $35,000 and car theft.

The police chiefs pointed out that stolen cars recently have been used in the commission of other crimes, rather than abandoned after joyrides.

“These cars are being used in the commission of other violent crimes,” Spano said.

The chiefs also raised concerns about a type of warrant that allows suspects to sign a statement that they will come to court rather than face immediate arrest, Spano said. He added that he is interested in having a conversation about the practice.

Following the meeting, the mayors of the other five cities represented at the meeting released a joint statement about the gathering. The statement by Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse, Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case, Edina Mayor Jim Hovland, Minnetonka Mayor Brad Wiersum and Plymouth Mayor Jeffry Wosje, outlined three actions that resulted from the meeting.

They wrote, “The mayors of this group will facilitate strengthening partnerships with law enforcement and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, with the goal of changing policies which have led to an increase in vehicle-related crimes in our cities.”

They requested that the Regional Council of Mayors discuss crime at its January monthly meeting “and resolve to work in unison to prevent these crimes.” They also wrote, “Law enforcement agencies will build on their decades-long collaboration and continue to coordinate a comprehensive and consistent response to crimes across the metro.”

The statement concluded, “When one city experiences an increase in crime, it affects all of us. Together, we are committed to protecting our residents and preserving the high quality of life every person deserves.”

Spano said he did not sign the letter because he had advocated for a more comprehensive process by which the county attorney’s office would formally seek feedback from police chiefs on policies long-term.

Spano said he and other mayors have been in contact with each other since the Dec. 17 meeting.

“We’re continuing to have those conversations,” he said.

The statement from the other mayors attracted the attention of Freeman, who wrote a letter to the five of them Dec. 21 accepting the opportunity to join the Regional Council of Mayors in January following an invitation from Hovland the previous day.

“You have my commitment that my office will prosecute these assaults, carjackings, armed robberies and other violent crimes to the fullest extent of the law,” Freeman wrote.

He also responded to the mayors’ concerns about his office’s bail reform initiative last year, which he said had been developed with other county attorneys and Attorney General Keith Ellison. The crimes in which Freeman’s office would not seek bail related to offenses deemed to be low level and not dangerous, Freeman said.

“The violent crimes that are occurring now are not cases that we would not seek bail for,” Freeman wrote. “Just the opposite. In fact, in prosecuting the carjackings that are referred to my office, we are seeking to have juveniles certified as adults and petitioning the court to hold them in detention because they are a threat to the public safety as well as asking for bail.”

His office announced Dec. 14 that it would assign two prosecutors to specialize in the prosecution of carjackings in the county and would designate an advocate to assist victims of the crimes.

As of Dec. 13, 138 referrals for carjacking cases had been sent to Freeman’s office, leading to charges for 75% of them at the time. Last year, the county received 124 referrals, with charges in 87%.

“These are violent and scary cases for the victims who are carjacked, some happening in broad daylight outside the grocery store or their homes,” Freeman said in the statement.

The office noted that charges for carjackings can include assault and aggravated robbery charges, while the statement said auto theft of an unoccupied car “is considered a low-level, non-violent offense.”

In his own statement, Spano said of the Dec. 17 gathering of suburban mayors and police chiefs, “In that meeting we heard from our police chiefs that stolen cars are being used to commit other crimes and this needs to be addressed through policy change at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. We also discussed the need to have a more collaborative ongoing partnership with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office as we all work to reduce crime.”

The mayor, who said he applauded the arrest of suspects in violent carjacking incidents in St. Louis Park and Edina, concluded his statement by saying, “In St. Louis Park, we believe we can both keep our communities safe and support the need for criminal justice system reform. While the arrest of suspects in the recent attempted carjacking cases in St. Louis Park and Edina is a relief, it’s not the solution. We are all in this together and we need to find a solution together.”

In an interview, he expressed concern about a perceived lack of charges in some cases involving stolen vehicles.

“We need those things to be addressed because our community cannot live in fear of going to the grocery store,” Spano said. “That is unacceptable. That is what I and my colleagues are committed to working on.”