Authorities Arrest 46 In Another Minneapolis Carjacking Crackdown
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Over a three-day period last week, authorities from three agencies collaborated to arrest nearly 50 people in connection with a string of carjackings and robberies in south Minneapolis.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, 46 people were arrested between Jan. 26 and Jan. 28. Authorities recovered 15 firearms and 12 stolen vehicles during the operation.
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The department worked with deputies from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and utilized air support from the Minnesota State Patrol to target the suspects.
Thirty-seven of the arrests were felony level and include probable cause charges of "carjacking, drugs and weapons violations, auto theft and fleeing police," MPD said. Police said many of those 37 were arrested for multiple felonies.
Daniel Magnuson, a longtime teacher who loves his south Minneapolis neighborhood, says the wave of arrests makes him feel safer.
"If we have to have helicopters flying over our neighborhoods to get it done … then that's just where we're at and we have to do that, but it's sad that we have to do that," Magnuson said.
Olivia Arnold says she doesn't feel any safer. Her car was stolen last summer.
She told WCCO in a text, "I worry that these arrests will be the same [as the December ones] and that it's all just for numbers rather than making any difference in decreasing carjackings."
The problem reaches to the capitol city, too. St. Paul police say officers made arrests in two cases Monday night, and they partnered with larger agencies recently -- including the ATF -- to arrest six young men for a carjacking spree. They were all charged with federal crimes.
In 2020, Minneapolis had 405 carjackings. Police said that's a 301% increase over 2019.
Last week, WCCO reported eight carjackings in a 48-hour period in the city.
A similar crackdown in December yielded 41 arrests, though some of those arrested were released without charges.