Twin Cities juvenile crime: MPD Chief O'Hara, County Attorney Moriarty address justice, accountability
MINNEAPOLIS – There were two meetings Tuesday night in the Twin Cities concerning one issue.
In north Minneapolis, law enforcement expressed the frustration of arresting the same teenagers over and over.
"We're getting sometimes as many Kias and Hyundais stolen in a week as what used to happen in an entire year," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara. "A small group of kids over and over, and not having the ability to send them someplaces where they can actually get accountability, they can actually get service."
In Brooklyn Park, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty joined a panel focused on juvenile justice.
"We think it's important that we show the community, that we in the system are collaborating and working together," Moriarty said. "One of our goals is to try to intervene early before the activity escalates to the point where it's more difficult to rehabilitate."
Moriarty says her office is now speeding up the process of charging teens who have been arrested and then released. Before, it could take weeks or months.
"Five days within charging, we are committed to doing that, which hopefully will get that youth and their family the resources that they need early on," she said.
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Tiffynnie Epps is the sister of Zaria McKeever, who was killed last November. The two teens involved were offered a plea deal from Moriarty's office, and they would've avoided prison. But in a rare move, Gov. Tim Walz re-assigned the case to Attorney General Keith Ellison, who will try them as adults.
"There's been so many meetings about juvenile justice reform and a lot of nothing happening," Epps said. "We're still at a standstill, so it's just dragging it feels like, and still no justice, no nothing."
While she's feeling hopeful ahead of the next court date in June, she is still waiting for accountability, and thinks about her sister every day.
"Every day, all day, all the time. Like, even now," Epps said. "She's with me though in spirit, so we'll be good."
Moriarty says her office is working with MPD to address this complex issue.