News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jon Collins, 612-919-5918
August 8, 2016 (MINNEAPOLIS) - The Hennepin
County Sheriff’s Office reports mid-year crime statistics from January-June
2016 that show Violent Crime has increased by 6% when compared to the same time
period in 2015. Violent crime is defined as: homicide, rape, business robbery,
person-to-person robbery, and aggravated assault.
“The
Sheriff’s Office sees this increase as a major issue, and we have rededicated
our resources to fight this alarming trend,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich
Stanek. “As always, we need the help of community leaders and residents. We all
share the responsibility to prevent crime and partner in keeping our families
and neighborhoods safe. We welcome all crime tips, including anonymous tips.”
The mid-year
statistics show that there was a countywide increase in rape, business robbery,
and aggravated assault, 11%, 22%, and 11%, respectively.
One of the
most notable violent crime statistics is the 24% decrease in homicides. During
January-June of 2016, there were 19 homicides, compared to 25 homicides during January-June
of 2015. (Homicides include intentional murder and manslaughter.) There was
also a 4% decrease in person-to-person robbery.
The mid-year
crime report shows that both property crimes and part 1 crimes are down 3% and
2%, respectively. Property crimes include: business burglary, residential
burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Part 1 crimes include both
violent crime and property crime.
Targeting Violent Offenders
The
Sheriff’s Office is targeting violent offenders and illegal guns with the help
of the Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF). VOTF conducts proactive, focused
investigations on the county's most violent offenders who are engaging in
suspected illegal activity and have a violent history based on arrests or
convictions for homicides, weapons, aggravated robberies, narcotics, and assaults.
VOTF is led
by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and includes sheriff’s deputies,
Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) agents, U.S. Marshals, and officers from the
Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Golden Valley and Richfield police departments.
Recently,
they achieved a major milestone – they have removed more than 1,000 illegal
guns off the streets of Hennepin County since the task force was created in
2007.
Information Sharing
The Sheriff’s
Criminal Information Sharing and Analysis (CISA) Unit analyzes criminal
activity and shares the data with law enforcement agencies. CISA organizes
crime-fighting “collaborations” which allow groups of detectives and officers
from local police departments to alert each other about crime patterns and
trends in their jurisdictions. This collaborative work among agencies helps to
identify suspects more quickly.
In addition,
The Sheriff’s Office leads the Metro Regional Information Collaboration which allows
an exchange of information between HCSO and sheriff’s offices in seven other
metro area counties.
Other Violent Crime Fighting
Initiatives
- The Sheriff’s Office is working more closely
with Hennepin County police departments and chiefs to share warrant
information, providing a more seamless response in the fight against violent
crime.
- The Sheriff’s Crime Lab is has put an additional
emphasis on processing illegal guns used in violent crime quicker to find
offenders before they can commit additional crimes.
Partner with us to fight crime
Tipsters are
encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office with information concerning the
whereabouts of fugitives by calling 1-888-988-TIPS.
For anonymous
tips, you may choose from three different ways to submit tip information.
-
Submit an
online form – which can be found at www.hennepinsheriff.org.
-
Text us
at 847 411 – begin your message with the keyword HCSOTip and then continue
entering your tip.
-
Download
an app for iPhones or android phones.
The apps can be located by searching for “HCSOTip” or “Hennepin.”
Clicking on the app will bring up a tip form that you fill to provide
information.
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Look for more news on
the Hennepin County Sheriff's website at http://www.hennepinsheriff.org.
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