Minnesota Sheriff's Office: 'Small Things Can Lead To Big Things'

The Chisago County Sheriff's Office yesterday morning posted about a traffic stop that led to the arrest of a man with a warrant for 3rd-degree murder. The post by the Sheriff's Office seemed to take aim at the recent news that some Minnesota county attorneys wouldn't prosecute any felonies that resulted from minor traffic stops.

The post on its surface is short and to the point.

Last night one of our deputies stopped a car for a minor equipment violation. During the traffic stop he found the driver to be intoxicated...AND had a warrant for murder. In law enforcement, small things can lead to big things. Because a deputy enforced something small last night, your county is a safer place this morning. One in custody.

Arrested in the early morning traffic stop was a 31-year-old man on suspicion of 4th degree DWI, he is currently still being held in the Chisago County Jail on a hold for Anoka County on a 3rd-degree murder warrant.

It's that 4th sentence that seems to take aim at the news Ramsey County Attorney John Choi won't prosecute certain felony charges stemming from minor traffic stops. "Because a deputy enforced something small last night, your county is a safer place this morning."

Choi last week made headlines when he announced that his office wouldn't be prosecuting felonies that stem from low-level traffic stops like tail lights being out, or outdated license tabs. A statement last week from the Ramsey County Attorney's Office regarding the new policy concluded that "When people feel unfairly targeted by non-public-safety stops, it diminishes trust in law enforcement, prosecution, and in the justice system, as a whole, which comes at great cost to the people being profiled and to our collective ability to achieve community safety."

That news hasn't sat well with those in the law enforcement community. In response to the news from the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association Executive Director Brian Peters issued a statement in response to the news:

Basically, the county attorney just announced his office won't uphold the law and won't prosecute those break it. That's absurd, and is a slap in the face to victims of crime. Ramsey County residents be warned: those that break the law won't even get a slap on the wrist—they'll get a high-five from the county attorney and be left to commit more, and more serious offenses. Reduction of crime and public safety for all should be our focus as the crime rate escalates—and this isn't it.

Online reaction to the post from the Chisago County Sheriff's Office over the last 24 hours has been mostly positive.

Image Credit: Paul Shea/TSM

Chisago County is located just to the north of the 7 county metro area.

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