 Leaders in the Somali-American community in Hennepin County have denounced the deadly terrorist attack in Kenya. Hennepin County has the largest Somali-American population in the U.S. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office has had a long-standing partnership working with the Somali - American community. The Sheriff's Office has a Community Engagement Team that meets regularly with the Somali community on public safety education and problem-solving. The goals of our outreach include building a community of trust and offering resources to Somali-American parents who want to help their youth make safe and healthy life choices. In recent days, we have been meeting with community members to express our sincere condolences for their loved ones who were killed or injured in the attacks -- and to renew our commitment to countering violent extremism.
On September 3, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek joined law enforcement leaders on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. to call for greater investments in early childhood education as a way to reduce crime.
The law enforcement leaders voiced their support for a proposed state-federal early childhood education partnership that aims to reduce the number of people who are incarcerated nationwide by 200,000 every year and lead to $75 billion in cost savings over 10 years.
More than 1,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, and prosecutors from across the nation signed a letter urging national policy makers to enact the proposal, which would provide states with resources to create, strengthen, and expand quality preschool.
“If we value the lives of children in our community, then making the investment in pre-K is critical,” said Sheriff Stanek, “Investing in early childhood education makes good economic sense as opposed to much higher expenses for time spent in the Hennepin County jail or other institutions in the future.”
 Sheriff Stanek demonstrates a Medicine Disposal Box. Disposal of painkillers helps to reduce the risk that medicine will be taken for non-medical purposes.
Drug Prevention Meeting for Parents
On October 8, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office will meet with parents and teachers at Eden Prairie High School to discuss effective ways to prevent teen drug abuse.
The event is called, “A Night to Know the Truth,” and it is organized by Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge.
The evening will consist of an open forum for parents to ask questions as well as hearing from young people that were once caught in addiction and how they hid their addictions from their parents. Parents will learn from community partners about what they can do to help prevention addiction in the community and receive helpful resources. During the event, the Sheriff’s Office will describe the dramatic increase in heroin overdose deaths in Hennepin County and the epidemic of prescription medication abuse.
Event:
A Night to Know the Truth
Date:
Tuesday, Oct. 8th, 2013
Time:
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Site:
Auditorium at Eden Prairie High School
17185 Valley View Road
Eden Prairie, MN
A man who had been featured on the Hennepin County’s Top Ten Most Wanted List has been arrested in Illinois.
52-year-old Leo Richard McGarry was involved in a vehicle crash and was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Sycamore, Illinois on September 16. After the arrest, authorities determined that he was wanted on an active Hennepin County warrant.
In Hennepin County, McGarry was wanted on a warrant in connection with a DWI that took place in Bloomington, MN in 2012. McGarry has had multiple DWI convictions and arrests in three different states and has been booked in the Hennepin County jail more than a dozen times.
“Drunk drivers who are repeat offenders clearly demonstrate that they have a complete lack of regard for the safety of other drivers and they have no place on our roadways,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, “If you see an impaired driver, call 911 immediately and if you know the whereabouts of someone with an active warrant for DWI, call 911 or local law enforcement.” |
