XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, mn.politics, alt.politics.trump   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns, sac.politics   
   From: thank.a.democrat@minnesota.guv   
      
   Mandatory reproduction prevention sentence, sterlize the parents and offenders.   
      
   MINNEAPOLIS — Reports on kids stealing cars happen frequently in the Twin   
   Cities, but there's a challenge when it comes to pumping the brakes on car   
   crimes.   
      
   "Nobody should have their car stolen. No one should be the victim of the   
   crime," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.   
      
   It's a crime that's been reported more than 4,413 times in Minneapolis so far   
   this year, according to the Minneapolis Crime Dashboard.   
      
   "We are getting cases for potential charging from Minneapolis Police   
   Department in 1.4% of those cases that are stolen," Moriarty said. "It is   
   difficult for law enforcement to come up with proof that they need to allow us   
   to be able to charge a case."   
      
   According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office public data dashboard,   
   reported thefts led to 500 vehicle theft cases being sent to Moriarty's   
   office, more than half 261 are juvenile cases.   
      
   Data show 95 of those 261 juvenile cases came from Minneapolis police.   
      
   Moriarty says she understands how difficult it can be for police to gather   
   enough evidence to charge a case because some stolen vehicles are dumped and   
   other times the young thieves are spotted but get away. That makes it   
   difficult for police to provide    
   the proof prosecutors need.   
      
   "Did that kid steal that car? Is there direct proof of that? Was that kid   
   driving the car and knew that it was stolen? So we're going to be looking for   
   evidence of that," Moriarty said. "If law enforcement has a case that we can   
   charge, we will charge    
   the case."   
      
   The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has charged 122 juvenile auto theft   
   cases this year. Moriarty's office has the option to decline or send them to   
   diversion programs. Of 261 juvenile cases, charges were declined in 42 of them   
   and diversion was    
   offered for 34 of them.   
      
   There's a program called the Youth Auto Theft Early Intervention Initiative.   
      
   "It's for those kids where law enforcement knows those kids are out there   
   engaging in this kind of behavior but they can't bring us a case," Moriarty   
   said.   
      
   It's a partnership between prosecutors and police where officers refer youth   
   to the program. A social worker then reaches out and connects the family with   
   the resources they need.   
      
   "Given the nature of these cases and difficulty in gathering enough evidence   
   to charge them, I think we have to look at different ways to have   
   accountability," Moriarty said.   
      
   But the metro's top cops think that accountability looks like harsher   
   consequences.   
      
   Moriarty mentioned several times the biggest challenge is how young some of   
   the children involved are. She says she's charged a 10-year-old but a judge   
   threw it out because they were found not competent to understand the system.   
      
   https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/hennepin-county-mary-mori   
   rty-youth-auto-theft/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)