Look carefully at how crime statistics are reported

We are just a couple weeks away from electing our 47th President of the United States and I’m sure we can all agree this can’t come soon enough! We are being inundated with attack ads everywhere, In the news, TV, social media, newspapers, etc. You can’t get away from it and I think it’s fair to say we are all tired of it. I will say the civility in the recent VP debate was long overdue and honestly — very refreshing.
I have friends on both sides of the aisle, from hard right to far left. With some we can discuss our differences and agree to disagree. With others, we are so far apart that we tend to avoid diving deep into the political weeds. Honestly, I’m ok with both. In either case, we respect each other’s opinions and beliefs and are all still friends. Unfortunately, that is not often the case.
Both sides preach tolerance — yet both sides show intolerance by their actions and words. This is not a right or left issue. This country is more divided than ever and both sides bear some fault in where we are at.
I am unapologetically pro-law enforcement and will call out what I believe are false narratives and/or facts. Politicians and media are reporting violent crime in Minnesota in the decline. Technically that may be true, but what years are we comparing? If they are reporting a decline from 2022, that may be true. Keep in mind in 2022, the murder rate in Minnesota increased by 84% from 2018 with aggravated assaults increasing by 59% over that same period.
In 2018 there were 10,073 motor vehicle thefts reported in the state — politicians and media will tell you statistics show in 2023 vehicle thefts were down 6.8 percent from 2023. That sounds great until you look at all the numbers. In 2023 there were 15,612 vehicles reported stolen in Minnesota, down 861 vehicles from 2022 — That’s still 50% higher than 2018. 50% PERCENT! Just goes to show statistics can be spun to fit nearly any narrative with creative reporting.
Crime in Minnesota from repeat offenders, often offenders who the courts fail to hold accountable, have left a long list of victims whose lives are forever changed because of this failure. This failure is due to this ideology of progressive prosecution, defined as a reform-based approach to criminal justice that aims to improve equity and fairness in the criminal legal system. This system heavily relies on increased social services and mental health assistance, for which our state is grossly unequipped and understaffed to handle.
Just look at Hennepin County — this isn’t working. Ask people who live and work there who are directly affected by it.
These are just two examples of our state failing when it comes to crime. This is what happens when you villainize cops, glorify criminals, and support progressive prosecutors.
The real numbers often tell a very different story than politicians and media choose to tell us. Just look at the ShotSpotter website for Minneapolis (google “Shots Fired Map — City of Minneapolis”) to see how well things are going up there.
When hearing gunshots in and around your neighborhood becomes normal, we have a problem. When citizens are told by law enforcement (when reporting suspicious activity or crime in their community), unless someone is physically getting hurt, they don’t have anyone available to respond — something is seriously wrong with our system. This shouldn’t be happening anywhere, especially here in Minnesota.
My point to this column is this: We can’t expect anything to change if we don’t change how we address crime. There has never been a tougher time in Minnesota to be a cop, especially in our larger communities. In greater Minnesota, we are all working hard to keep this crime from moving into our communities.
Our crime problem in this state isn’t going to change without new leadership at the state and federal level — leadership that supports our cops and our courts. Leadership that supports our cops through the good and bad times, not only when it’s politically correct to do so.
I’ve been accused of being political and biased in some of my social media posts and comments because if my content. Unfortunately, being an elected official, I’m in politics whether I like it or not. If being pro-law enforcement is now political and makes me biased, then I’m guilty.
We are fortunate to serve in a community like Dodge County who supports law enforcement, who supports law and order, and who supports holding criminals accountable. Our community still believes in these simple fundamentals, and we don’t have the crime problems plaguing other communities in the state. Our state and national leaders could learn a few lessons from rural communities like ours out here amongst the rocks and cows.
Thanks as always for supporting our men and women serving.
Your Sheriff,
Scott