BE IT RESOLVED, that Agreements A2110776 and A2110777 with the State of Minnesota, acting through its Commissioner of Commerce accepting $568,610 in grant funding for dedicated auto theft investigators and auto theft prevention efforts in the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office during the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023, be approved; that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the Agreements on behalf of the County; and the Controller be authorized to receive and disburse funds as directed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office be authorized to increase staffing by 3.0 FTEs funded by the   grant awards; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a supplemental appropriation of $140,450 be made to the 2021 Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office budget be approved; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the sponsorship and acceptance of grant funding for this program by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners does not imply a continued funding commitment by the county for this program when grant funds are no longer available.

The number of automobile thefts has been increasing in the State of Minnesota. In the Twin Cities, automobile thefts have hit epidemic levels and are believed to be at record high levels since record keeping began to track this data. Criminals are becoming more violent and brazen, which has led to shootings and homicides. After taking vehicles by force, many suspects speed dangerously through neighborhoods at high rates of speed. The thefts are often committed by organized groups and repeat offenders who cross jurisdictional boundaries and frequently use stolen vehicles to facilitate other crimes.

The Criminal Intelligence Division within the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is uniquely positioned to contribute significantly to auto theft prevention in Hennepin County. Staff analyze and share criminal information amongst all of the law enforcement agencies in Hennepin County, breaking through jurisdictional barriers and disparate records management systems to efficiently analyze these crimes to identify suspects, high crime areas, and work hand-in-hand with detectives to investigate the most prolific offenders.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce awarded the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office two grants to confront the increase in automobile thefts. The first grant, in the amount of $407,810, will provide funding for two dedicated auto theft investigators and specialized training in automobile thefts. The second grant, in the amount of $160,800, will provide funding for one analyst that will work on auto theft prevention activities.