Car thefts spike in Minneapolis, drop in St. Paul: report
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Car thefts in Minneapolis have skyrocketed this year, while St. Paul leads the nation in cutting down on such crimes.
Why it matters: In addition to being a potentially expensive headache for the owner, stolen cars are often used to commit other crimes.
- Plus: In the Twin Cities, reckless driving by teens at the wheel of snatched vehicles has resulted in injuries and even deaths.
Driving the news: Minneapolis saw a 77% spike in motor vehicle thefts in the first six months of 2023, compared to the same period of 2022, per midyear data, released this month by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ).
Yes, but: In St. Paul, they were down 41%, representing the steepest drop of all 32 cities included in the analysis.
The big picture: Car thefts are climbing in dozens of cities across the country, Axios' Ivana Saric reports.
- They were up nationwide by roughly 34% compared to last year, and 104.3% higher than the same period in 2019, the CCJ report found.
Zoom in: In the Twin Cities, thieves targeting Kias and Hyundais and crimes committed by repeat offenders — many of whom are juveniles — are seen as driving factors for those cars that are stolen.
What they're doing: Law enforcement officials in St. Paul say a dedicated team of eight deputies assigned to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Carjacking and Auto Theft unit has helped them crack down on stolen cars, the Star Tribune reports.
- The team takes a proactive approach to spotting and recouping potentially stolen cars, even using tracking devices that can be launched and attached from afar, and seeks to get teen offenders into rehabilitative programs.
What they're saying: "We've focused on the repeat offenders, and when I say repeat — these kids are stealing cars every day, sometimes several," Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher told the paper.
The other side: Minneapolis, which has just one full-time officer dedicated to car thefts, is using bait cars to try to lure thieves, per the Star Tribune. Officials there are pledging to charge teens quicker and hold more in custody while their cases are reviewed.
- A new diversion initiative seeks to engage at-risk youth before they enter the legal system.
Between the lines: Ramsey deputies can also use police pursuits to apprehend suspects in non-violent crimes. The practice is banned in Minneapolis.
Of note: While car thefts are increasing, homicides and other violent crimes are down nationwide in the first half of this year, the Council on Criminal Justice found.
- That trend holds true in Minneapolis, where homicides and carjackings are down. Overall crime data from St. Paul was not immediately available.
What we're watching: Despite the increase, Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara is hopeful the trend will soon start to reverse, as renewed attention from law enforcement and prosecutors “take the fun out of” the crime.
- He told the Star Tribune that car thefts were down in three of five precincts this month.