Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty speaks out on youth auto theft crisis
MINNEAPOLIS — Reports on kids stealing cars happen frequently in the Twin Cities, but there's a challenge when it comes to pumping the brakes on car crimes.
"Nobody should have their car stolen. No one should be the victim of the crime," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
It's a crime that's been reported more than 4,413 times in Minneapolis so far this year, according to the Minneapolis Crime Dashboard.
"We are getting cases for potential charging from Minneapolis Police Department in 1.4% of those cases that are stolen," Moriarty said. "It is difficult for law enforcement to come up with proof that they need to allow us to be able to charge a case."
According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office public data dashboard, reported thefts led to 500 vehicle theft cases being sent to Moriarty's office, more than half 261 are juvenile cases.
Data show 95 of those 261 juvenile cases came from Minneapolis police.
Moriarty says she understands how difficult it can be for police to gather enough evidence to charge a case because some stolen vehicles are dumped and other times the young thieves are spotted but get away. That makes it difficult for police to provide the proof prosecutors need.
"Did that kid steal that car? Is there direct proof of that? Was that kid driving the car and knew that it was stolen? So we're going to be looking for evidence of that," Moriarty said. "If law enforcement has a case that we can charge, we will charge the case."
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has charged 122 juvenile auto theft cases this year. Moriarty's office has the option to decline or send them to diversion programs. Of 261 juvenile cases, charges were declined in 42 of them and diversion was offered for 34 of them.
There's a program called the Youth Auto Theft Early Intervention Initiative.
"It's for those kids where law enforcement knows those kids are out there engaging in this kind of behavior but they can't bring us a case," Moriarty said.
It's a partnership between prosecutors and police where officers refer youth to the program. A social worker then reaches out and connects the family with the resources they need.
"Given the nature of these cases and difficulty in gathering enough evidence to charge them, I think we have to look at different ways to have accountability," Moriarty said.
But the metro's top cops think that accountability looks like harsher consequences.
Moriarty mentioned several times the biggest challenge is how young some of the children involved are. She says she's charged a 10-year-old but a judge threw it out because they were found not competent to understand the system.
