Hennepin County Attorney gives update on effectiveness of youth car theft intervention initiative

Ashley Halbach KSTP

On Wednesday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty held a press conference to give an update on a program aimed at reducing youth from stealing vehicles and faster charging decisions for those who do.

The Youth Auto Theft Intervention Initiative started a year ago.

The program has two prongs, one aimed at intervening so kids don’t steal a vehicle in the first place or for a repeated time, and the second being faster legal review for possible charges of any young people involved in an auto theft-related crime, the HCAO says.

The intervention prong is a joint effort between several agencies to help identify kids who are displaying “auto theft-related behaviors” but haven’t done anything yet to be charged with a crime.

In these circumstances, the family of any identified youth is contacted by a social worker to help the individual and family get connected with a variety of services, including case management, mental health help, Family Response and Stabilization Services, school reengagement, and basic needs support including food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) says that many families in this program were not surprised by the behavior of their child but needed assistance getting the right support.

“This initiative shows that when prosecutors, law enforcement, and social workers join together to intervene early and support young people and their families, we can prevent crime from occurring. Early intervention helps improve justice and public safety for everyone,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.

The HCAO says that data supports that this program is helping.

They said that since it started in June 2023:

81% of youth (95 participants) who were referred to voluntary services had no new charged cases as of May 15, 2024.
The number of youth auto theft cases submitted to HCAO was 48% lower from January to May 2024 than the same period in 2023 (before this initiative went into effect).
Auto theft reports to law enforcement were down 30% across Hennepin County during the same time period.
The vast majority of participants and their families are accepting voluntary services from a social worker.

The HCAO says that the data also demonstrates that the faster charging decisions of youth involved in auto theft-related crimes are noticeable, with an 18% increase in a charging decision within 3 days and a 24% increase in a decision within 10 days from July 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024, compared to the same time a year prior.

The attorney’s office said that “it’s critical to interrupt this behavior or prevent it from escalating” because recidivism rates for kids charged with auto theft crimes are high.