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MPD Chief says juvenile crime and guns have strained staffing
MPD Chief Brian O’Hara sat down with reporter Kent Erdahl for a wide-ranging conversation.
MINNEAPOLIS — It’s been quite a long four years for the Minneapolis Police Department, from the chaos of 2020 to a rise in youth crime.
MPD Chief Brian O’Hara says he wants to lead the greatest comeback story in policing when he took the job, but he calls the current state of things in Minneapolis “unsustainable” and nearing a crisis.
“I see, internally, how burnt out some of our officers are,” Chief O’Hara said. “We have to realize that we’ve gotten 40% smaller than we were three years ago when there was much less crime and violence, and we have to recognize that it’s not sustainable.”
Chief O’Hara says it’s no secret that much of the strain on the MPD right now can be traced to an exponential growth in juvenile crime, from car thefts sparked by the viral videos that exposed Kia and Hyundai security issues to a recent cluster of fast-paced robbery sprees.
O’Hara: “Unfortunately, with the level of staffing that we have, it’s triage like everything else. And we’re not going to do what would probably happen in the in the majority of the state. I think a majority of law enforcement in the state, when they see a stolen car, they’re going to pursue it and then arrest people. We’re not going to chase cars that are just stolen. So that’s never been a part of our law enforcement strategy.”
Erdahl: “Do you believe it should be?”
O’Hara: “No. I mean, it’s just it’s ridiculous to try and chase a car that’s stolen in a city and put a police officer’s life, those kids lives, and everybody else that’s out here at risk just for a stolen car, especially when we know what’s going to happen. We take the kids into custody and more likely than not, everyone except the driver will be immediately released.”
O’Hara says communication with the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) has led to some limited progress on that issue, but he says much more needs to be done.
O’Hara: “In Hennepin County, we have seen an improvement where our officers, when they request for people to be held, there has certainly been more consideration then for that. But that’s something that the individual officer has to request each time. It doesn’t seem like JDC is aware of all the facts when they’re making these decisions.
I think the entire system was overwhelmed by it, and it continues to be a problem. Yes, auto theft is down about a third compared to where we were at this point last year. It’s still way above what it had been prior to this problem. And there is absolutely overlap between kids joyriding in stolen cars, stealing these KIAs and Hyundai’s, and the robbery sprees that we’re seeing.”
He says another overlapping issue, that also adds danger to every other response, is the prevalence of guns throughout the community.
O’Hara: “We have just so many more guns that wind up stolen. I think last year we had almost 500 guns that were reported stolen in the city of Minneapolis alone… about half of the guns that get stolen in the city are stolen from inside of cars. People are leaving guns fully loaded under their seat in the glove box, the back seat. I understand why people do that, because they’re afraid… Not only can that result in really, really tragic consequences for a victim, it can change that person’s life also forever.”
And while he says MPD did remove about 11 hundred guns from the streets last year, he says they can’t do it alone.
O’Hara: “While I am all for the Second Amendment and lawful gun ownership at the same time, I think we have to remember that the facts just are, you know, when there are more guns in circulation, there will be more harm.
The majority of the guns that wind up in crimes in Minnesota were originally legally purchased here. That’s different from where I come from is different from a lot of other cities. It’s different from what you would see on the West Coast or in the Northeast.”
While he wouldn’t rule out supporting some types of gun control legislation, O’Hara says his chief concern is getting help for his officers, which begins with a new contract.
O’Hara: “The cops have been working here over a year without a contract. I think Minneapolis, I think, is 17th for starting pay in the metro. That’s got to get corrected. You know, there’s no question. You know, the cops here are, if not the most scrutinized among the most scrutinized in the country. And I think a lot of that is earned. But at the same time, we have to recognize this job is what it is. It’s extremely difficult. There’s a whole lot of challenges. And if we want to attract, you know, good people, the best and the brightest who are interested in this profession, we have to make it worthwhile.”
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Cities across Minnesota expanded voting hours and locations for the upcoming presidential election.
MINNEAPOLIS — Expanded early voting hours and locations are giving Minnesotans more opportunities to cast their ballots before the general election.
Over 1,000 people visited Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services over the weekend to make their voice heard.
“We have always voted as a family. We have this right as Americans to vote, and we wanted him to know right from the get-go that you’ve got to vote in every single election because this is our voice, this is our opportunity to really pick the future that we want based on the candidate that we vote for,” said Kelly Wallander.
Kelly and her husband, Claude, picked up their son Harrison from college, so they could all vote in the general election for the first time as a family.
“It’s interesting. It’s cool to see elections on TV, basically as long as I can remember, and now know that I’m a part of it and being able to vote with my parents is cool,” Harrison said.
“I like voting early just because exactly you miss the line and you get it in there,” Claude said.
Director of Elections and Voter Services for the City of Minneapolis Katie Smith said the past two days have been busy.
“We’ve had really solid turnout. We’ve had about 42,000 people who have already voted in this election,” she said.
She anticipates next weekend will be even busier.
“Every year we kind of looking at how many people we’re planning for and how many people are coming through. We try to always expand our service hours as we get closer and closer to the election,” she said.
Smith said they’ve also started using pop-up voting locations to reach more people.
“In 2023, there was a legislative change that allows for us to have sites around the city that are open for different lengths of time as well as different dates form our main site. We’ve really taken the opportunity to host some one-day early vote pop-ups… in some unique and really great spaces throughout the city,” Smith said.
Sunday’s pop-up was at the Capri Theater. Paige Gayle voted here along with her sister.
“I like early voting because it’s convenient, it’s fast and it’s quick,” she said. “I work on actual election day, so for me it was important to get out beforehand.”
Smith said offering more voting opportunities for people in Minneapolis is crucial to their work.
“It’s so important to be able to offer all of these voting methods so that people can find something that works really well for them and make their voting plan,” Smith said.
Voters tell KARE 11 one of the perks to early voting is little to no wait. Voting early also gives them peace of mind and is one less thing to do on election day.
“It’s so much more convenient. This way I don’t have to worry about it. I’ll still be working on election day, so I would have had to go in before or after work. Now, I don’t have to worry about it. I know my vote will be counted,” Macy Bauers said.
Bauers said she votes in every election and hopes more people take advantage of early voting in the coming days.
The two adults who were killed were both male, according to the department, which is investigating the shooting.
MINNEAPOLIS — Three people were shot, two of them fatally in a Minneapolis encampment on Sunday afternoon, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
The shooting occurred on the 4400 block of Snelling Avenue shortly after 3 p.m., said the MPD.
The two adults who were killed were both male, according to the department, which is investigating the shooting.
A woman was also taken to the hospital after the shooting and is in critical condition, said the MPD.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
John Sawchak faces four felony charges after officials said he shot his neighbor on Grand Avenue South while trimming a tree on their shared property line.
MINNEAPOLIS — A man is recovering in the hospital after being shot outside his home in a dispute with a neighbor on Grand Avenue South in Minneapolis on Oct. 23.
According to a criminal complaint, Minneapolis police responded to a hospital for a report of a gunshot victim on Wednesday night. The injured man had been transported from his home on Grand Avenue South for an unknown medical condition that caused him to collapse. The man was found in the fetal position by his wife when she got home from work that evening.
Officials later identified the victim as Davis Maturi.
At the hospital, providers found a small puncture wound in the back of Maturi’s neck that led to the discovery of a bullet lodged near his spine. When he arrived at the hospital, he couldn’t recall what led up to him being shot, according to the criminal complaint.
Maturi’s wife told officials that he had been outside earlier in the day pruning a tree near their property line with a chainsaw. She said their neighbor, John Herbert Sawchak, 54, had “almost certainly” shot her husband.
In the previous week, Maturi’s wife said Sawchak told her husband “Touch my tree again and I’ll kill you.”
The criminal complaint goes on to detail numerous complaints of harassment the Maturi’s experienced since purchasing their house in September 2023.
Oct. 11, 2023: Maturi approached Sawchak to discuss the tree on their property line. Sawchak became irate, according to the criminal complaint, yelling at Maturi and using “racially charged language.” Sawchak told Maturi if he “touched” the tree, Sawchak would “take care of” him.
March 1, 2024: Sawchak approached Maturi while he was working outside his house on a ladder. While verbally harassing him, officials said Sawchak told Maturi that he would put him in the hospital.
April 5, 2024: Sawchak threw household items at Maturi from his 2nd-floor window.
May 28, 2024: Sawchak verbally threatened Maturi, calling him “a Black bastard,” and telling him “I’m going to kill you if you call the police again. All you people do is lie and commit crimes.”
Aug. 7, 2024: Sawchak verbally threatened Maturi from his 2nd story window. Maturi saw Sawchak holding up a large knife in the window while threatening to kill Maturi and his wife.
Oct. 8, 2024: Sawchak verbally threatened and screamed racial slurs at Maturi from his 2nd-floor window. Sawchak also, once again, brandished a knife from his window while threatening to kill Maturi.
Oct. 14, 2024: Maturi saw Sawchak outside Maturi’s home with a firearm. Sawchak pointed the firearm at Maturi through the window.
On the evening of Oct. 23, Maturi’s wife went home to pack some things and leave for the night, officials said. Sawchak verbally harassed her and shone a stone light on her as she left her home, the criminal complaint read. The next day, Maturi and his wife were able to access home security footage from their home cameras. The video shows Maturi working outside near the tree at the property line with his back to Sawchak’s home. A faint “crack” or “pop” can be heard, then Maturi collapsed to the ground.
Maturi remains hospitalized with a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion. He talked to KARE 11 from his hospital bed and said he feels the police failed to protect his family by not arresting Sawchak during one of the various other incidents.
“If you’re saying you’re scared, what does that do to me?” Maturi said. “You have this body armor, you have professional training… when I call for assistance, when I called for having a knife pointed at me, I had to wait hours and hours and hours.”
As of Sunday morning, Sawchak is not in police custody. According to the criminal complaint, Sawchak has at least three active warrants associated with prior threats or acts of violence against Matsuri and other neighbors. Sawchak has “actively evaded” police during their prior attempts to contact or arrest him.
A letter from ranking members of the Minneapolis City Council to Mayor Jacob Frey showed anger and blame directed at the Minneapolis police department for allegedly failing to act on Maturi’s numerous complaints against Sawchak before the shooting, and failing to arrest him immediately after the shooting.
“MPD still has not arrested the suspect despite charges from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for Attempted Murder, 1st Degree Assault, Stalking, and Harassment and a request from the HCAO for a warrant with $1 million bail. MPD told the HCAO they do not intend to execute the warrant ‘for reasons of officer safety,’” said the letter from the Minneapolis City Council.
Watch Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara’s response below:
