HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE 2013 ANNUAL REPORT

www.hennepinsheriff.org
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Pictured on the cover
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Information Sharing and
Analysis Unit (CISA) is staffed with crime analysts who work to prevent crime
and solve cases. CISA provides analysis of crime trends and criminal activity
to the Sheriff’s Office and to law enforcement throughout the county.
At the CISA offices, monitors update information about emergent events in
the Real Time Analysis Center (R-TAC). Among its many uses, the R-TAC acts
as a virtual command post by providing critical information in support of law
enforcement personnel in the field.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 1
As your Sheriff, it is my privilege to serve
all the citizens of Hennepin County. The
Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is
dedicated to reducing crime and improving
public safety. I believe our work contributed to
an impressive achievement: since 2006, violent
crime in our county has been reduced by
approximately 36 percent.
Among our accomplishments in 2013:
•The HCSO Crime Lab cut its DNA testing
turnaround time by half. This achievement
was the result of work process improvements
that were developed over a three-year period.
•Violent criminals, narcotics operations, and
gangs have been targeted. Large amounts
of illegal narcotics have been confiscated.
HCSO organized multi-agency warrant
sweeps and we satisfied nearly 8,000 felony
warrants.
•Approximately seven tons of unwanted medicine was collected for proper disposal. HCSO
urges residents to use our disposal boxes to
help reduce the risk that prescription painkillers will be abused. HCSO continued a
safety campaign to warn residents that opiate
painkillers are a gateway to heroin addiction.
•HCSO led the effort to add weapons screening at more county courthouses. 2013 was
the first full year for the additional screenings
and more than 800 prohibited items were
kept out of courtrooms.
•In response to the increasing number of active shooting incidents nationwide, HCSO
continued its multi-year, comprehensive
initiative to prepare and train to respond to
mass casualty incidents and threats. In 2013,
we trained more than 1,000 people from the
community and law enforcement agencies
during multiple exercises and events.
•HCSO advocated for legislation at the state
and federal levels to address issues of extreme gun violence by those with untreated
mental illness. We worked with Minnesota
legislators to improve the state’s participation
in the National Instant Criminal Background
System (NICS), ensuring people committed
by a court for mental health treatment do not
have access to firearms.
•HCSO made progress on the construction
of the HCSO 911 Emergency Communications Facility in Plymouth. The facility, which
opens in 2014, will allow us to keep pace
with current 911 call demand and it will
provide the ability to enhance emergency
communications capabilities with new technologies.
Our entire community – families, businesses,
and government – continue to face economic
challenges. HCSO demonstrates that we are
good stewards of taxpayer dollars by pursuing
cost-savings such as consolidating internal
departments and seeking grants for equipment
purchases and new programs. Approximately
300 residents volunteer at HCSO and they
provide community outreach and emergency
response. As I look forward to the year ahead,
I am committed to continuing our policy of
innovative resource management.
This report highlights our 2013 achievements –
achievements that were made possible because
of the hard work of our personnel and the
exceptional partnerships with law enforcement
and the community. I am proud to serve in a
community that recognizes that public safety is
essential to maintaining our quality of life. I am
honored to lead the men and women of HCSO
who are dedicated to serve with leadership,
integrity, and strong partnership.
Detention / Court Services Bureau
Adult Detention Division
2013 Adult Detention
Division
Annual bookings: 35,910
Average bookings
per day: 98
Average length of
stay: 7.33 days
High count for the year: 803
on July 15, 2013
Low count for the year: 603
on July 26, 2013
Jail volunteer hours: 3,784
Inmate meals served: 820,168
2013 Court Services
Division
Defendants escorted to
court: 33,552
Patients escorted to
court: 1,667
Persons arrested: 1,010
Persons arrested on
warrants: 439
Persons screened at court
weapon screening: 186,561
Prohibited items confiscated
at court weapon screening:
837
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
(HCSO) operates the largest jail in
Minnesota and the only jail in the state
that is accredited by the American
Correctional Association. The Sheriff’s
Office has achieved this distinction
because it maintains the highest standards of inmate custody and care.
Many units and divisions within the
Sheriff’s Office have responsibilities and
work assignments at the jail. The Sheriff’s
Office Adult Detention Division leads the
overall management of the facility. The
Sheriff’s Office, as well as city, state, and
federal law enforcement agencies, book
arrestees into the jail. In 2013, there were
35,910 inmates booked into the facility.
The Hennepin County Jail is located in
Minneapolis and occupies space in both
the Hennepin County Public Safety
Facility (PSF) and in Minneapolis City
Hall. Within the PSF there is a booking
unit and 330 inmate housing beds.
Across the street in City Hall, there are an
additional 509 inmate housing beds on
the upper floors of the building.
Programs to assist inmates
In 2013, the Sheriff’s Office continued its
participation in the Transition from Jail to
Community (TJC) project. The goal is to
provide assistance to inmates so that they
don’t re-offend and return to jail. The
Sheriff’s Office Adult Detention Division
created an assessment tool to identify risk
factors for inmates. This will help
Hennepin County service providers to
address factors such as homelessness,
unemployment, substance abuse and
addiction, and management of mental
health issues.
For more than a decade, the Sheriff’s
Office has maintained a comprehensive
volunteer program in the jail to provide
mentoring and counseling opportunities
for inmates. Approximately 100 citizen
volunteers provide optional education
classes for inmates. Topics include
Alcoholics Anonymous, domestic violence
prevention, and religious instruction.
Inmates with mental health issues
The Sheriff’s Office continues to be a
leader in addressing the issue of mentally
ill inmates in jail. Based on national
estimates, as many as 30 percent of jail
inmates suffer from mental illness. In
2013, the Sheriff’s Office worked with
partners in the criminal justice system
and the community to initiate important
legislation. As a result, a new state law
was enacted that ensures individuals in
the civil commitment process are transferred out of jail and brought to an
appropriate psychiatric treatment facility
in a timely manner.
In 2013, Deputy Haissan Hussein became
the first Somali-American to be sworn-in
as a Deputy Sheriff in Hennepin County.
He works in the jail where his
assignments include the supervision
and control of inmates, enforcement
of security procedures, and providing
services and information to visitors and
inmates in the facility.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 3
Court Services Division
The Court Services Division provides law
enforcement services to the Fourth
Judicial District Court. The division helps
to ensure that the judicial system operates
safely, in an orderly manner, and without
disruption. In 2013, the Court Services
Division escorted 33,552 defendants to
court and escorted 1,667 patients to
mental health court.
The Court Services Division is responsible
for enforcing the District Court rules of
decorum while maintaining safety and
security in the courtrooms. This important work is conducted in approximately
96 courtrooms, located in eight courthouses and facilities throughout Hennepin
County. Deputies provide security for
judges, juries, court personnel, witnesses
and all citizens. They escort defendants to
and from courtrooms for appearances, as
well as monitor, direct and control the
movement of defendants throughout court
proceedings.
The Court Services Division makes arrests
of persons who violate court orders or
those who have an active warrant. Deputies assist all judges and court personnel
with security concerns. They conduct
patrols and security checks. At many court
facilities, deputies assist with screening for
weapons. In 2013, there were 186,561
persons screened and 837 prohibited
items confiscated at suburban weapons
screening locations. Items confiscated
included knives, box cutters, razors,
scissors, mace, and a replica gun. In 2013,
temporary weapons screening stations at
Brookdale and Ridgedale Court facilities
became permanent. The Sheriff’s Office
recommended permanent weapons
screening stations due to violent incidents
and threats that have occurred in courthouses in Minnesota and nationwide.
Information Technology Division
The IT Division provides project management services, technology leadership
and consulting to the Hennepin County
Sheriff’s Office as well as other criminal
justice agencies in Hennepin County and
Minnesota.
In 2013, major IT projects included:
Primary responsibilities include the
research, procurement, installation, and
ongoing support of computer infrastructure and specialized vendor systems. The
division provides emergency support for
applications 24 hours a day. The division
also collaborates with law enforcement
and criminal justice partners throughout
the county and develops technology solutions that will assist in crime reduction
and case resolution.
•Launched the start of the movement to
Microsoft Windows 7 and Office 2010
on all Sheriff’s Office computers, which
increases security and productivity
while decreasing support costs by using automated support and configuration technologies.
•Increased use of virtual server technology to reduce hardware and energy
costs while increasing the availability of
critical systems.
Major Jeff Storms
leads the Detention/Court Services
Bureau which includes the Adult
Detention Division, the Court
Services Division, and Information
Technology Services.
Administrative Services Bureau
Professional Standards Division
2013 Employee
Development Unit
statistics
Approximately 42,000
hours of training was
provided, including:
6,500 hours of mandated
firearm and use of force
training for licensed deputies
800 hours of emergency
vehicle operation training
at the Minnesota Highway
Safety Research Center
13,000 hours of mandated
training for jail staff
1,600 hours of first aid
training
9,700 hours of new
employee orientation
Examples of specialized
instruction provided in
2013
Criminal Investigations
Training
Incident Command & Control
Training
Joint Counter-Terrorism
Awareness Workshop
Active Shooter Training
Training is provided to HCSO
personnel, local, state, and
federal partners
The Professional Standards Division
consists of the Administrative Unit, the
Employee Development Unit, the
Personnel Unit, the Internal Affairs Unit,
the Central Records Unit and the
Community Engagement Team (CET)
(See page 9 for CET information.)
Employee Development Unit
The unit coordinates training activities
for all Sheriff’s Office personnel. Among
its responsibilities, the unit conducts
orientation sessions for new employees,
coordinates emergency vehicle operation
training, and publishes e-learning
courses. The unit also provides specialized training opportunities to other local,
state, and federal law enforcement
agencies. For example, citizens who
volunteer as Reserve Officers at police
departments throughout the county
receive their training at the Sheriff’s
Office. This past year there were 4,000
hours of training provided to approximately 100 law enforcement volunteers.
In 2013, the unit conducted or coordinated more than two dozen active shooter
training events that were attended by
approximately 1,000 participants. (See
page 5) In addition, the unit distributed
new active shooter response bags with
first aid supplies to Sheriff’s Office
personnel.
Personnel Unit
The primary mission of the unit is to
recruit, select, manage and retain our
Sheriff’s Leadership Series
In 2013, the Sheriff’s Leadership Series was
launched. The new program brings
national and international experts to
Hennepin County to discuss public safety
topics. Newtown, Connecticut Police Chief
Michael Kehoe spoke about his agency’s
response to the tragic shooting at Sandy
Hook Elementary School. He was among
the speakers to discuss recent active
shooter incidents.
most important resource: the employees
of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. The unit maintains the office policy
manual to ensure compliance with state
statute and office rules, and unit personnel research emerging trends and look
for innovative ways to improve services
provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office Citizen Law Enforcement Academy is conducted by the unit.
Twice each year, the 10-week program
teaches citizens about public safety and
the Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office has several initiatives
in place to recruit diverse employees so
that our personnel more closely represent
the community we serve. One example
is the Law Enforcement and Diversity
(LEAD) Program. Participants are known
as “cadets” and they work at the Sheriff’s
Office while they are pursuing their law
enforcement education requirements.
There are 14 employees who work at the
Sheriff’s Office after successfully completing the LEAD program.
Internal Affairs Unit
The Internal Affairs Unit provides
citizens with a fair and effective avenue
to voice their legitimate concerns about
the actions of the Sheriff’s Office. It also
protects employees from false allegations
of misconduct and wrongdoing. It is the
responsibility of the Internal Affairs Unit
to ensure that the integrity of the Sheriff’s
Office is maintained.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 5
Active shooter training
Extreme gun violence & mental illness
Despite a decrease in violent crime, active
shooter incidents are occurring with
greater frequency nationwide. Throughout 2013, HCSO organized several
training exercises to improve response
capabilities during an active shooter
incident. The exercises involved HCSO
deputies, hundreds of officers from police
departments across the county, and
community representatives from schools,
hospitals, faith communities, and businesses.
In 2013, the Sheriff’s Office led efforts at
the state and federal levels to address
issues of extreme gun violence by those
with untreated mental illness. As president of the Major County Sheriff’s
Association, Sheriff Stanek met with
President Barack Obama and his administration (photo 2) on this issue to
emphasize that people with untreated
mental illness should not have access to
firearms.
The training took a regional approach to
planning. It was also valuable for coordinating a multi-agency response to
homeland security incidents or other
mass casualty events (photo 1).
Major Tracey Martin
leads the Administrative Services
Bureau. It oversees the Professional
Standards Division.
Sheriff Stanek and a coalition of law
enforcement also worked with Minnesota
legislators to improve Minnesota’s
participation in the National Instant
Criminal Background System (NICS)
(photo 3).
Topics addressed included response
tactics, incident command, and the
coordination and communication that are
required to successfully manage these
types of incidents.
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Enforcement Services Bureau
Enforcement Services Division
2013 Patrol Unit
Arrests: 1,201
Citations: 2,426
Traffic accident responses:
238
Patrol hours: 53,340
2013 Warrants*
Felony warrants satisfied:
7,922
Gross misdemeanor
warrants satisfied: 4,706
Misdemeanor warrants
satisfied: 22,031
Total warrants received:
36,698
Total warrants satisfied:
34,933
*Statistics represent
combined efforts of the
Sheriff’s Office, other law
enforcement agencies and
partners in the criminal
justice system.
The Enforcement Services Division
includes the following units: Patrol,
Special Operations, Water Patrol, K-9,
and Transport.
Patrol Unit
The Patrol Unit provides emergency
response, patrol services, service of civil
papers, and warrant service to communities throughout the county. In addition,
the Sheriff’s Office is the primary law
enforcement service provider to Greenfield, Hanover, Medicine Lake, Rockford,
the Hennepin County Home School, the
Hennepin County Adult Corrections
Facility, Fort Snelling, the 133rd Minnesota Air National Guard, 934th U.S. Air
Force Air Wing, and U.S. Marine Corp/
Naval Reserves.
The Patrol Unit responds to in-progress
crimes and emergencies. In addition, it
provides proactive enforcement efforts
aimed at preventing crime. In partnership
with local law enforcement agencies, the
unit conducts directed patrols in areas of
higher criminal activity. The result has
been arrests in the affected areas, improved response times and the deterrence
of criminal activity.
Each year, the Patrol Unit conducts
several Towards Zero Death enforcement
efforts aimed at removing impaired
drivers from the road. The Minnesota
Department of Public Safety coordinates
these details statewide. The Patrol Unit
collaborates with the court system to conduct home compliance visits to defendants who are under the jurisdiction of
the DWI Court. Deputies also provide
D.A.R.E. education to schools.
Service of civil process
A significant responsibility of the Sheriff’s
Office is the service of civil process.
Deputies in the Patrol Unit handle 31
types of civil process, including subpoenas, summonses, and domestic abuse
orders for protection.
In 2013, the Patrol Unit received 21,735
processes for service. Of the papers
received, persons were located and
successfully served in 15,723 cases.
In 2013, there were 2,596 foreclosure
sales, which is a 37.2 percent decrease
from 2012. In 2012, there was an average
of 345 foreclosure sales per month, while
in 2013, there was an average of 216 sales
per month.
The Sheriff’s Office has contributed to
implementation of Hennepin County’s
Foreclosure Prevention and Response
Program. It provides assistance to
homeowners and renters. For information, visit www.hennepin.us, or call the
Minnesota Home Ownership Center at
651-659-9336.
Top five civil processes
served in 2013
Summons and Complaint:
4,007
Writ of Recovery: 2,650
Domestic Permanent: 2,030
Support and Collections
Blue Actions: 2,020
Harassment Actions: 1,870
2013 Life Saving Award
While serving civil papers in Minneapolis,
Deputy Barry Heikkinen was monitoring
police radio channels and heard of a
shooting nearby. Deputy Heikkinen
located a man with a gunshot wound
to his chest and provided emergency
care to the victim. Deputy Heikkinen
is highly trained to respond to medical
emergencies, in part, due to his service
as a field medic in Iraq and Afghanistan
for the U.S. Army Reserves. The victim
underwent surgery and has recovered.
Deputy Heikkinen has received the 2013
Life Saving Award from the Minnesota
Sheriffs’ Association.
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HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 7
Major Darrell Huggett
leads the Enforcement Services
Bureau which includes
the Enforcement Services,
Communications, and Volunteer
Services divisions.
The BEAR
In 2013, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s
Office announced the arrival of the
Ballistic Engineered Armored Response
vehicle, known as the BEAR. This is
a rescue vehicle designed to help
safely resolve high-risk incidents.
The Sheriff’s Office frequently uses
the BEAR when conducting highrisk warrants. It may also be used in
response to a variety of emergencies,
such as active shooter incidents,
hostage situations, or evacuating
residents during a natural disaster.
Service of arrest warrants
The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for the
administration and execution of service
of arrest warrants, commitments and
other court orders issued for persons who
are wanted in Hennepin County and/or
other jurisdictions. Responsibility for the
execution of warrants also involves
extraditing wanted individuals back to
Hennepin County who are captured in
other counties or states.
The focus of this work is tracking down
the county’s most violent offenders. In
2013, there were 7,922 felony warrants
satisfied. Every day, the Sheriff’s Office
and local law enforcement agencies
pursue and arrest wanted individuals.
In addition, the Sheriff’s Office conducts
special warrant sweeps that provide
additional resources and personnel to
executing warrants. In 2013, the Sheriff’s
Office completed two warrant sweeps in
partnership with more than a dozen local
police departments and federal agencies.
A summer warrant sweep targeted
offenders wanted on violations related to
domestic abuse. A winter warrant sweep
focused on arresting DWI offenders. The
sweeps resulted in more than 1,000
warrants being satisfied, which includes
arrests and voluntary surrenders.
The Sheriff’s Office, through the Patrol
Unit, continued several important
warrant initiatives. The Hennepin County
Sheriff’s Office Suburban Juvenile
Initiative (SJI) focuses on juveniles with
arrest warrants. SJI tracks down juvenile
offenders, makes arrests, and encourages
offenders to turn themselves in. The goal
is to hold juveniles accountable for their
actions.
Another effective initiative is the Sheriff’s
Joint Warrant Initiative. Deputies partner
with the Department of Community
Corrections and Rehabilitation, probation
officers and police officers throughout
Hennepin County to work together in an
effort to target and arrest high level
offenders that are wanted and have had a
history of violence.
The vehicle was purchased with a grant
from the U.S Department of Homeland
Security. It is a regional resource for
tactical officers in Hennepin County
and law enforcement throughout the
Upper Midwest.
Enforcement Services Bureau
Enforcement Services Division
2013 Transport Unit
Transport Unit
K-9 Unit
7,677 inmates transported
The Transport Unit transports people
under the jurisdiction of the county and
state, including inmates bound for
hearings in outer-division courthouses,
convicted inmates bound for correctional
facilities, and mental health patients
bound for court hearings or being
transferred from treatment facilities.
The K-9 Unit provides professionallytrained and highly-motivated K-9 teams
to respond to critical incidents throughout Hennepin County and the region.
The K-9 teams are an additional tool to
enhance the capabilities of patrol or other
units at a crime scene.
3,365 patients transported
2013 K9 Unit
12 K-9 teams
717 searches
672 deployments (includes
arresting suspects for
violent of felony-level
crimes)
57 details (scheduled
events)
105 arrests
In 2013, the Transport Unit logged
353,675 miles by safely transporting
7,677 inmates and 3,365 mental health
patients pursuant to court orders. The
unit served 1,096 court-ordered summonses. In addition, it completed 89
transports for local police departments by
providing transport services to detention
and detoxification centers.
The unit also completed 1,306 writ
transports (court-ordered appearances for
prisoners held at Department of Corrections facilities throughout the state).
In 2013, HCSO purchased three additional German Shepards and designated a
deputy as lead K-9 trainer. The canines
and their deputy handlers completed
rigorous training and certification, and
the unit now has 12 K-9 teams available
to provide service 24-hours a day.
The K-9 teams conduct sweeps for
dignitary protection, conduct narcotics
and explosives detection, track and
apprehend fleeing suspects, and track
and locate missing persons. In 2013, they
completed 717 searches and 672 deployments, which include arresting suspects
wanted for violent crimes or felonies.
The Sheriff’s Office partners with the
Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms (ATF) Explosive Detection
Canine Program. A Sheriff’s Office K-9
team works with the ATF, which may
include working details for other federal
agencies nationwide.
Sheriff’s Office Community Advisory Board
The Community Advisory Board (CAB) visited the firearms range to learn about law
enforcement training. The board is a group of approximately 40 residents who come
from all walks of life. Throughout the year, they meet and learn about public safety
initiatives and provide feedback. The group also provides input concerning Sheriff’s
Office strategic planning. This is an effective way for the Sheriff’s Office to receive
direction directly from the residents of Hennepin County.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 9
Community outreach
In 2013, the Sheriff’s Office expanded
ongoing outreach efforts to diverse
communities in order to better address
public safety concerns and to build trust.
The Sheriff’s Office Community Engagement Team (CET) met with residents at
businesses, schools, and community
events to discuss safety messages and
crime prevention. Community involvement has many benefits including an
opportunity for positive interaction with
youth.
Residents also enjoyed touring Sheriff’s
Office facilities to learn about the work
of law enforcement. Discussions were
organized with a wide variety of community leaders and groups, such as the
Somali Women’s Round Table. Special
events included a holiday donation drive
that assisted a domestic abuse shelter.
Throughout the year, team members met
with residents to identify public safety
concerns and collaborate on proactive
solutions.
Enforcement Services Bureau
Special Operations Unit
Examples of 2013
projects and special
details
Collaborated with the U.S.
Secret Service and local law
enforcement to provide
dignitary protection during
President Obama’s visit to
the Twin Cities.
Coordinated the HCSO
National Night Out/Night
to Unite events.
Conducted a Joint CounterTerrorism Assessment
Workshop for metro-area
public safety personnel.
Coordinated a WMD
Advanced Tactical
Operations course.
Collaborated with
University of Minnesota
Police to provide additional
high visibility patrols
around campus.
Conducted a joint active
shooter training exercise
with the United States
Marshal’s Service in
Minneapolis.
The Special Operations Unit (SOU)
provides operational support to HCSO as
well as local, state and federal law
enforcement partners by coordinating
planning and operations for special
events and initiatives. SOU oversees the
Booking Team, Command Post Team,
Critical Infrastructure Patrols, Crisis
Negotiation Team, and also the following
teams and units:
Emergency Management Team
The Emergency Management Team
coordinates public safety resources and
personnel to plan for large community
events and also to respond to public safety
incidents such as natural disasters and
emergencies. The team includes specialists
from multiple disciplines including tactical
operations, logistics, and technology.
Hennepin County WMD Tactical
Response Team
The Sheriff’s Office is the lead law enforcement agency for the Hennepin County
WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)
Tactical Response Team. The team is
trained and equipped to respond to
incidents involving weapons of mass
destruction or hazardous materials.
This team includes officers from the
following law enforcement agencies:
HCSO, Minneapolis-St. Paul International
Airport, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park,
Eden Prairie, Golden Valley, Maple Grove,
Metro Transit, Orono, Mounds View,
Plymouth, St. Anthony, Ramsey County
Sheriff’s Office, Rogers, Champlin and the
Minnesota State Patrol.
Emergency Services Unit
The Emergency Services Unit (ESU)
responds to emergency incidents including
hostage rescue, barricaded suspects, and
high-risk warrant service. The team uses
special training and equipment with the
goal of achieving peaceful resolutions to
dangerous situations. In 2013, the ESU
executed 57 high-risk warrants for local,
state and federal investigative agencies.
Special Response Force
The Special Response Force provides
HCSO and local law enforcement agencies
with personnel and equipment to support
law-enforcement operations at events
where there is a potential for civil unrest
or criminal activity. The Special Response
Force provides public safety services at
emergency incidents, special events, and
demonstrations.
In 2013, the Special Operations Unit (SOU) coordinated SafeZone patrols
in downtown Minneapolis. In partnership with several law enforcement
agencies, Sheriff’s Office deputies walked the downtown beat in a
proactive effort to prevent crime and respond to public safety issues
during the summer months.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 11
Learn more about
the Hennepin
County Sheriff’s
Office
For invitations to these events and other
information, subscribe to our email or
text alerts at www.hennepinsheriff.org.
Sheriff Foundation
Kids from the Boys & Girls Club of the
Twin Cities go fishing with deputies
during the annual Hooked on Fishing
event. The Sheriff awards prizes for the
biggest catch. The Hennepin County
Sheriff Foundation is a non-profit group
that organizes this event and other
opportunities for at-risk youth.
Open House
The Sheriff’s Office Open House takes
place at the Sheriff’s Patrol Enforcement
Services Division in Brooklyn Park.
School groups and all residents are
welcomed to see more than a dozen safety
displays and equipment demonstrations.
Citizen Law Enforcement Academies
When residents participate in the Sheriff’s
Office Citizen Law Enforcement Academy,
they tour the jail, the Sheriff’s Crime Lab,
Sheriff’s Water Patrol and several other
facilities. The Academy is a series of
weekly classes that give participants an
up-close view of how law enforcement
works.
National Night Out and Night to Unite
Neighbors organize their own gatherings
for National Night Out and Night to
Unite. Every August, there are hundreds
of neighborhood events across Hennepin
County. The Sheriff and deputies bring
law enforcement vehicles and personnel
to neighborhoods to share crime prevention information.
Enforcement Services Bureau
Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol
2013 Sheriff’s Water
Patrol Statistics
13 drownings in Hennepin
County
23 boating/personal
watercraft accidents
45 Boating While
Intoxicated arrests
25 citations for underage
or minor consumption
Volunteer Service Hours
20,064 hours for Special
Deputies
380 hours for Explorers
3,784 for Jail Volunteers
Water Patrol Unit
The Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol encourages residents to enjoy the county’s
waterways in a manner that is courteous
and safe. Every day throughout Hennepin
County, deputies patrol the county’s 104
lakes and three major rivers. The Water
Patrol conducted more than 750 hours of
search, rescue, and recovery operations
in 2013. This highly-trained unit routinely conducts training in partnership with
other first responders in order
to be prepared for a wide range of emergencies. The Sheriff’s Water Patrol is
trained to conduct swift-water rescues.
During the winter months, this unit patrols frozen waterways with snowmobiles
and airboats (shown in photo.) In 2013,
the Water Patrol began an enhanced ice
awareness detail. Special deputy volunteers went to public boat launches to
provide safety information to residents
about thin ice. On Lake Minnetonka,
channels and other known danger areas
were marked with orange fencing and
areas were patrolled more frequently.
In 2013, the Sheriff’s Water Patrol
participated in a nationwide campaign
called Operation Dry Water. During the
stepped-up enforcement effort, additional
personnel were available to make arrests
of intoxicated boaters and to remind all
boaters about the importance of designating a sober boat operator prior to their
day on the water.
Remote Operating Vehicle
In 2013 the Sheriff’s Water Patrol began
using its new Remote Operating Vehicle
(ROV). Just as the name implies, the ROV is
operated by remote control. As it explores
the bottom of a lake or river, it sends
back real-time SONAR images to a laptop
computer screen.
Using the ROV reduces the time needed
to locate drowning victims and it has
improved safety conditions for Sheriff’s
Office divers. The device confirms the
location of a drowning victim prior to our
divers entering deep, murky water that
often contains debris. The ROV is also used
to locate evidence underwater.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 13
Finance Division
The Finance Division serves the entire
Sheriff’s Office, providing accounting
support and financial reporting for the
Sheriff’s Office.
The division developed the operating
budget of $87.0 million for 2013, the
five-year capital improvement plan, and
it provides fiscal analysis.
The division also develops a variety of
reports that provide a basis to assess the
financial impact of operations conducted
within the Sheriff’s Office. Trend analysis and year-end projections are provided
on a regular basis to assess financial operations, and to provide a basis for timely
and effective decision making.
The Sheriff’s Office acts as a good
steward of taxpayer dollars by aggressively seeking federal and state grants to
supplement local property tax funding
and by enhancing partnerships in law
enforcement and the community.
Volunteer Services
Division
The Sheriff’s Office is proud of our civilian volunteers who donate their time to
provide valuable public safety duties, and
in 2013, we created the new Volunteer
Services Division.
The Special Deputy Unit is included in
the division. Volunteers are sworn in
as “special deputies” after completing
months of rigorous training, including
training to be first responders. Special
deputies are ready to assist with a wide
variety of public safety incidents, and
have responded to emergency scenes and
have performed life-saving rescues. Most
often, their dedicated service enhances
our community outreach. Special deputies provide safety education to citizens
and complete patrol work – on land and
water.
Examples of duties include:
•Search, rescue and recovery of injured
or missing persons
•Patrol of lakes and rivers
•Community events and parades
•Emergency call outs
•Traffic and crowd control
•Interoperable communications
•Medical emergencies
•Underwater Rescue Team
There are additional volunteer opportunities at the Sheriff’s Office. Youth may
volunteer in the Explorer Unit and adults
may volunteer to teach classes to inmates
in the jail. For more information, visit
www.hennepinsheriff.org or email sheriff@hennepin.us.
Investigations Bureau
Communications Division
2013 Communications
statistics
226,840 calls from 911
The Sheriff’s Office Communications
Division operates the largest consolidated
public safety answering point in the
Upper Midwest, dispatching for 21 fire
departments and 24 police agencies in 37
communities. The 911 center operates 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
2,154,514 radio transactions
Emergency 911 Dispatch Unit
Over 7000 portable/mobile
radios maintained
When you call 911 from many cities in
Hennepin County, you will speak with
the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
Emergency 911 Dispatch Unit. This is
often the first point of contact for the
caller to request assistance from the
public safety community.
604,597 telephone
transactions
647,679 Computer Aided
Dispatch events including:
• 596,189 police events
• 22,589 fire events
• 28,901 emergency medical
events
Sheriff’s Office telecommunicators (also
known as 911 dispatchers) identify the
particular needs of the caller by gathering
critical information and using this to
determine an appropriate level of response by law enforcement, fire, or
emergency medical responders. This
process involves the telecommunicators
using three computerized emergency
telephone, dispatch, and radio systems.
Telecommunicators provide ongoing
updates to the officers in the field through
a sophisticated computer aided dispatch
(CAD) system and 800-MHz public safety
radios.
Radio Systems Management
& Tactical Interoperable
Communications Unit
This unit operates the county’s portion of
a field-deployable communications system
to enhance the statewide Strategic
Technology Reserve (STR). The STR
provides supplemental voice and data
communications capabilities to incidents
involving either a loss or lack of communications infrastructure.
The centerpiece of the Sheriff’s Office STR
is a self-contained deployable voice and
data radio system installed on a trailer
called a SATCOW (satellite equipped
communications site on wheels.) The STR
includes a radio tower trailer, and an
electrical generator trailer with portable
radios, laptop computers and other
equipment. The STR also includes a
mobile Incident Communications Center.
The center is staffed by the Sheriff’s
Communications Response Team,
consisting of Sheriff’s Office engineering
and technical staff from the Volunteer
Services Division.
Radio Technical Support Unit
The Radio Technical Support Unit helps
make interoperable communication
possible by maintaining more than 7,000
portable and mobile radios on the 800MHz infrastructure in which the Sheriff’s
Office provides dispatch services. Mobile
radios and the 800-MHz system are used
daily and the system has been proven to
be essential to saving lives during major
mass casualty incidents.
The unit’s technicians create and program
radio templates, and they repair, diagnose
and install public safety communications
in police, fire, emergency medical, and
public works vehicles for agencies
throughout the county.
Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)
management
Seventeen dispatch consoles are equipped
with a computer-aided dispatch software
system that incorporate mapping, public
safety unit recommendations, location
hazards and appropriate data tables along
with mobile computer access to officers in
the field. The CAD computers interface
with the 911 emergency phone system to
provide caller location information to
dispatchers and first responders.
Communications Response Team
(CRT)
The CRT operation is staffed with highlytrained volunteers who have earned the
title of “special deputy.” MARC special
deputies each hold an Amateur Radio
Technician Class or higher license. They
also serve on the Communications
Response Team (CRT), a group within the
Volunteer Services division.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 15
Update on the Sheriff’s Office 911
Emergency Communications Facility
On February 25, 2013, the Sheriff’s
Office marked the start of construction
on our new 911 Emergency Communications Facility. Throughout the year,
extensive planning took place to ensure a
seamless transition into the new hightech facility. Among the accomplishments
in 2013 were:
The new facility is located in Plymouth,
adjacent to the Adult Corrections Facility.
It is needed to ensure uninterrupted 911
services and to accommodate future
advancements in communications
technology such as capturing voice, data,
photos and video for 911 calls and
emergency communications.
•Worked with the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board on a new shared/
hosted Next Generation 9-1-1 Telephone Answering System that will
service multiple dispatch operations.
It will be hosted at the Sheriff’s 911
facility.
The total projected budget for the new
facility is $33.7 million. Many cost-saving
measures have been incorporated into
construction plans. For example, the
facility is being built on property that was
already owned by the county. An existing
communications tower is on the property
so a new tower is not needed.
•Constructed a redundant fiber path
to connect the 911 facility with the
ARMER radio backbone housed in the
previous 911 facility in Golden Valley.
•Planned for the transition of dispatch,
technical services and engineering
operations to the new 911 facility by
creating several work groups.
The facility will improve operational
efficiencies and optimize operating
expenses by collocating three principal
functions – the 911 Public Safety Answering Point, Critical Infrastructure Radio
and Data Network Center, and Radio
Systems Operations and Technical
Services.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in late July 2014 and the facility will
begin operations at the end of 2014.
Investigations Bureau
Forensic Sciences
2013 Crime Laboratory
statistics
3,282 new lab cases
received
6,506 requests for lab
services
2,010 requests in Biology/
DNA Section completed
362 CODIS (DNA database)
entries, resulting in the
identification of 260
potential suspects
2,966 crime scene requests
processed
187,429 digital images
captured by Digital
Multimedia Section
931 NIBIN (firearm evidence
database) firearm and
cartridge entries, resulting
in 36 “hits”
1,391 requests in Latent
Print Section completed
and 890 identifications
made
2013 HC-VOTF
Arrests: 363
Search Warrants: 274
Illegal drugs confiscated:
• Marijuana: 38.5 pounds
• Cocaine: .89 pounds
• Crack Cocaine: 1.32 pounds
• Methamphetamine: 12.4
Pounds
• Heroin: .79 pounds
• Illegal prescription
medication: 1,062 pill
Illegal firearms confiscated:
119
The Forensic Sciences Division provides
forensic services to suburban Hennepin
County law enforcement agencies and
several state and federal agencies.
In 2013, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s
Office Crime Lab reduced its DNA testing
turnaround time. For DNA recovered at
the scenes of violent crimes, the turnaround time to analyze DNA evidence
was reduced by 52 percent from 20102013. During that same time period, in
cases involving property crimes, the time
required for DNA analysis was reduced by
68 percent. Studies have shown that
when DNA analysis is used to investigate
property crimes, a reduction in violent
crime is seen as well.
Crime Scene Unit
Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs) collect
evidence at crime scenes, disaster scenes,
and other public safety incidents countywide. CSIs are licensed sheriff’s deputies
dedicated exclusively to processing crime
scenes 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In 2013, the CSIs responded to 2,966
requests for crime scenes to be processed.
Crime Laboratory Unit
The Crime Laboratory Unit includes:
Administration and Support, Biology/
DNA, Evidence Management, Firearm
and Tool Mark, Latent Print, and Multimedia Evidence. The Sheriff’s Office
Crime Laboratory is one of only three
accredited crime laboratory systems in
Minnesota and has earned International
Program accreditation from the American
Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/
Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/
LAB). The lab has developed a firearms
reference library and has obtained more
than 1,300 guns that can be used to assist
Sheriff’s firearm examiners in case work.
Firearms evidence and analysis has tied
criminals and crimes together. This is
important in the prosecution of offenders.
The Latent Print Section recovers latent
fingerprints and palm prints from
evidence submitted for processing and
compares and identifies the latent prints
to those of known persons. This work
resulted in the comparison of more
than 3,100 prints resulting in 890
identifications.
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 17
Investigative Division
The Investigative Division includes the
Hennepin County Violent Offender Task
Force, Narcotics Task Forces, Detective
Unit, and Criminal Information Sharing &
Analysis (CISA).
Hennepin County Violent Offender
Task Force (HC-VOTF)
HC-VOTF conducts proactive, focused
investigations on the county’s most violent
offenders. These offenders are engaging in
suspected illegal activity and have a
violent history based on arrests or convictions for homicides, weapons, aggravated
robberies, narcotics and assaults.
The task force includes personnel from the
Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and the following
police departments: Brooklyn Park,
Brooklyn Center, Golden Valley, and
Richfield. HC-VOTF also works as a force
multiplier – if crime increases in a certain
community or area of the county, HCVOTF may provide additional personnel
to work with local law enforcement.
Detective Unit
The Sheriff’s Office Detective Unit conducts investigations in communities where
the Sheriff’s Office is the primary provider
of law-enforcement services, in communities where the local police department
lacks the resources to provide full-time
investigators, and in county facilities
including the Hennepin County Medical
Center, Adult Corrections Facility and the
County Home School. Detectives conduct
hundreds of investigations into criminal
activity ranging from property crimes to
violent crimes, including homicides.
Detectives are assigned to several specialty
assignments, including the Minnesota
Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Internet
Crimes Against Children Task Force, the
Northwest Collaboration (Brooklyn Park,
Brooklyn Center, and Hennepin County
Sheriff’s Office), the Hennepin County
Attorney’s Office and the CODIS team
which identifies suspects using CODIS,
the Combined DNA Index System.
Criminal Information Sharing &
Analysis Unit (CISA)
This unit provides timely analysis of
criminal information to area law enforcement agencies, provides a platform for
agencies to share information on criminal
activity, and provides crime pattern and
trend analysis. This helps identify suspects
more quickly and it helps in crime
prevention.
CISA has assisted with organizing several
effective partnerships that are grouped by
geographic region. This unit organizes the
information that is shared among investigators, adds further analysis and redistributes the information back out to law
enforcement.
West Hennepin County Crime Collaboration: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office,
Hennepin County Attorney’s Office,
Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation,
Carver County Sheriff’s Office, Three
Rivers Park District, West Hennepin
Public Safety and police departments
from: Corcoran, Deephaven, Medina,
Minnetrista, Orono, Rogers, Wayzata, and
South Lake Minnetonka Police.
Northwest Hennepin County Crime
Collaboration: Hennepin County Sheriff’s
Office, Hennepin County Attorney’s
Office, Hennepin County Department of
Community Corrections and Rehabilitation and police departments from: Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Champlin,
Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Plymouth,
Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, and
Metro Transit.
Southwest Hennepin County Crime
Collaboration: Hennepin County Sheriff’s
Office, Hennepin County Attorney’s
Office, Hennepin County Department of
Community Corrections and Rehabilitation and police departments from: Bloomington, Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park, Edina,
Golden Valley, Minnetonka, Minneapolis,
Richfield, and Hopkins.
Metro Regional Information Collaboration: Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
and sheriff’s offices from the following
counties: Ramsey, Washington, Anoka,
Dakota, Carver, Sherburne and McLeod.
Major Kip Carver
leads the Investigations Bureau
which includes the Forensic
Sciences and Investigative divisions.
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Narcotics task forces
HCSO is committed to strong investigative partnerships with federal, state and
local law enforcement. Narcotics task
forces include officers from different
agencies to promote collaboration and to
provide geographic coverage for narcotic
investigations.
HCSO assigns a deputy to work with the
Northwest Metro Drug Task Force which
includes officers from the following police
departments: Plymouth, Crystal, Robbinsdale, New Hope, and Brooklyn Center.
In addition, two HCSO deputies work
with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to combat narcotics trafficking across state lines.
For each task force listed below, HCSO
contributes a deputy and a sergeant to
oversee daily operations.
West Metro Drug Task Force: HCSO,
Medina Police Department, Orono Police
Department, and West Hennepin Public
Safety. In 2013, the task force made 54
arrests and completed 81 search warrants.
Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force:
HCSO, Hopkins, Eden Prairie, St. Louis
Park, Edina, and Minnetonka. In 2013,
the task force made 270 arrests and
completed 120 search warrants.
Combatting heroin and painkiller abuse
In 2013, HCSO continued its efforts to fight the opiate crisis –
which includes heroin and prescription medication abuse. HCSO
and our personnel working on narcotics task forces confiscated a
large amount of heroin and targeted illegal drug operations.
To reduce the risk of prescription medication abuse, residents are
urged to properly dispose of unwanted medications in disposal
boxes (center). HCSO collected nearly seven tons of medications
in 2013. For disposal box locations, visit www.hennepinsheriff.org.
In addition, Sheriff Stanek and Minnesota Senator Chris Eaton
announced a proposal for new law that would allow law
enforcement officers to administer a heroin antidote (left).
This would provide quicker access to lifesaving treatment for
people who overdose.
At community events throughout the year, HCSO and counselors
provided information to parents about drug prevention for
teens (right).
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 19
Leadership
Sheriff Richard W. Stanek is
the 27th Sheriff of Hennepin County
and is serving his second term in
Minnesota’s largest county with 1.2
million residents. He was first
elected in November of 2006, and
was re-elected in 2010.
A 30-year veteran of law enforcement,
Sheriff Stanek began his career in the
Minneapolis Police Department; he rose
through the ranks from patrol officer,
detective, precinct commander, to
commander of criminal investigations.
While a police officer, Sheriff Stanek was
elected five times to the Minnesota State
Legislature where he chaired the House
Crime Policy & Finance Committee and
authored Minnesota’s Felony DWI law,
Minnesota’s standard for DNA collection
for predatory offenders, and Minnesota’s
Homeland Security Act of 2002. In 2003,
he was appointed by the governor as
Commissioner of Public Safety & Director of Homeland Security for Minnesota.
He is the immediate past president of the
Major County Sheriffs’ Association. In
that role, Sheriff Stanek participated in
the President Obama’s national law
enforcement working group that was
convened by the White House to address
gun violence and mental health.
Sheriff Stanek currently serves in leadership positions with several national
organizations and on several national
boards. He is on the executive committee
for the National Sheriffs’ Association,
serving as chair of the Homeland Security Committee, and vice-chair of the
Global Affairs Committee.
Sheriff Stanek earned a Criminal Justice
Degree from the University of Minnesota,
and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Hamline University.
Sheriff Stanek serves on both the Director
of National Intelligence’s Joint Counterterrorims Assessment Team and the
Homeland Security/Law Enforcement
Advisory Board. He is a member of the
Criminal Intelligence Coordinating
Council which advises the U.S. Attorney
General on national and international
issues of public safety.
Major Kip Carver
Investigations Bureau
Chief Deputy Mike Carlson
Major Tracey Martin
Administrative Services Bureau
Major Darrell Huggett
Enforcement Services Bureau
Major Jeff Storms
Detention/Court Services
Bureau
Volunteers:
Years of
Service Awards
Jail Volunteers
10 years of service:
Mary Lind
Special Deputies
5 years of service:
Noah Barton
David Cartwright
Forrest Deering
Daniel Fesler
James Frederickson
Jeffery Kleven
Mary McCarthy
David Ratz
Lisa Reinhart
Richard Rindal
Kathleen Sautter
Michelle Scheidemantle
Amanda Schuman
Joe Sherohman
Sheldon Smith
Andrew Talatinick
John Warren
Brendan Williams
Jared Zochert
Promotions
The following personnel were promoted to the ranks and positions listed below:
Captain:…..............................................................................................Ken Crouch
Lieutenant: …................................... Dan Antisdel, Shawn Maloney, Robert Staupe
Telecommunications Sergeant: …...........................................................Rita Feucht
Sergeant: …............Erik Fleck, Shawn Gullickson, Nabil Gottwaldt, Daniel Koski, .............................................................................................................. Jeffrey Biebl
Detention Sergeant: …. ..................................................................... Chris Douglas
Deputy:……….... Haissan Hussein, Eric Olson, Jeffrey Grates, Michael Hendricks, ........................................................................................................... Eric Anderson
Principal Office Specialist:…........................................................... Elizabeth Sharp
Forensic Science Supervisor:… ......................................................Angela Erickson
Custody Records Coordinator........................ Eugene Lyons, Michaela Christensen
Custody Records Supervisor.... ........................................................... Nan Terlisner
Retirements
Employee retirements
Position
Years of service
Kathy Schleif,Deputy 20 years
Brenda Opheim,
Deputy
25 years
Det. Sgt. Vern McIntyre, Detention Sergeant
21 years
Jakki Schultz, Administrative Secretary
James Anderson, Deputy
22 years
Terry Thompson, Deputy
28 years
Richard Siakel
Sherry Ramin, Accountant
15 years of service:
Jason Stahlberg, Deputy
10 years of service:
Arthur Hart
Craig Petersen
35 years of service:
Stephen Hartman
Roald Knutson
45 years of service:
John Thill
32 years
22 years
30 years
HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE • 2012 ANNUAL REPORT • 21
Sheriff’s Office awards
Citizen awards
Connect with us!
Unit Citation Award
Sheriff’s Award of Merit
Visit www.hennepinsheriff.org to access
our social media channels.
HCSO Communication Division
Bill Wilen
Sheriff’s Award of Merit
Bob VanDenBroeke
Mound Fire Department
Chief Justice Paul Anderson
Sergeant Clayton Sedesky
Sheriff’s Distinguished Service Award
Follow us on Twitter
Deputy John Cramble
Joe Boston
www.twitter.com/hennepinsheriff
Commendation Award
Greg Ovik
Watch our safety videos
Telcommunications Sgt. Liane Yanta
Susan Adams Loyd
www.youtube.com/hennepinsheriff
Telcommunications Sgt. Lou Menton
Imam Sheikh Sa’ad Roble
Subscribe to email messages
Telcommunications Sgt. Russ Hanes
Bishop Richard Howell
www.hennepinsheriff.org
Deputy Andy Gelbmann
Katey Taylor
Deputy Craig Canny
Tom Siegert
Deputy Jeff Marshall
Gloria Belmer
Deputy Joe Seffens
Special Deputy David Cartwright
Deputy Matt Hagen
Deputy Grant Breems
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Sergeant Matt Steffens
Warrant Clerk Elizabeth Sharp
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SHERIFF
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HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
350 South Fifth Street, Room 6
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
612.348.3744
www.hennepinsheriff.org
Text tips to hcsotip at 847411