According to the Anoka County Attorney’s Office, the number of auto thefts is up 33 percent this year over last.
“We’ve essentially doubled in five years,” said Criminal Division Chief Wade Kish. “In the last year, we’ve had 172 auto theft cases referred to our office.”
Kish said those figures only account for cases where someone is caught and arrested by one of the 13 law enforcement agencies in Anoka County. He said the 17 prosecutors in County Attorney Tony Palumbo’s office can only charge auto theft under two different statutes related to the make and model of the car and how old it is. Someone found with a car that is stolen but who may not have actually stolen it is charged under the statute involving receiving stolen property. Crimes like catalytic converter thefts or even carjackings are also charged separately under different statutes.
Still, he said the department needs more teeth in its battle against the rising figures, and that’s why it applied for a grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce for more than $180,000 over two years. The county board of commissioners approved the grant, and it will pay for a dedicated auto theft prosecutor in the office.
“When (officers) have a question about auto theft, they’re going to know who to call,” said Kish, who also said having a dedicated person to handle auto theft cases frees up the other prosecutors to continue working other cases. “That could really help (the dedicated prosecutor) really drill down and be proactive–a little more restrictive on the offer side of things.”
“When the auto theft prosecutor gets a case, they’re going to be involved with those victims from day one,” he said. “Leaving it one person’s hands, that’ll lead to sentencing consistency.”
The county has the ability to renew the grant for up to three years at the end of the initial two-year term if it wants to, said Kish.
