Bluestem had thought that when moving to tiny Summit, SD, population 288, we'd be shielded from crime. Not so: neighbors and friends have had vehicles stolen regularly since we've called Summit home, and lawnmowers and bikes go missing readily. Violent crime? There's some, but it's a lot more difficult to discover reliable data than it is in more densely populated counties, towns and cities.
Take the City of Minneapolis. There's the Minneapolis Crime Dashboard.
And there's the occasional tweet from the Minneapolis Police Department:
🧵 This year, more than 3,000 vehicles have been reported stolen in Minneapolis. That is about 13 vehicles per day. The nationwide trend of Kia and Hyundai vehicles being targets of auto theft has reached Minneapolis.
— Minneapolis Police (@MinneapolisPD) July 28, 2022
But crime data is only as honest as the understanding and purpose of those who use it.
The screenshot above, of a July 29 post on the Jim Schultz For Minnesota Attorney General Facebook page, seems to be drawn from information in the July 28, 2022 tweet.
As I looked at the Schultz post, I thought that auto theft and car-jacking were indeed horrible in Minneapolis. But then I paused. Are Are motor vehicle theft and car-jacking the same crime?
We reached out via email to the Minneapolis Police Department for an answer to that question. MPD Communications Director Garrett Parten called to let Bluestem that motor vehicle theft and carjacking are not lumped together on the Minneapolis Crime Dashboard nor were they the same crime in releases of information by the Minneapolis Police Department.
Thus, none of the 3000-plus vehicle thefts Schultz bemoans are car jackings.
As we look at the data in the dashboard, we find that the motor vehicle thefts are 3165, while carjackings (a subset of robbery) are 321.
We'll let a criminal defense lawyer's site explain The Difference Between Burglary, Robbery and Theft in Minnesota:
Burglary, robbery and theft are three terms that are often used interchangeably, but they are actually three different crimes. So which of the three is the most serious, and how can you be charged with each crime? We explain the differences between burglary, robbery and theft in Minnesota in today’s blog.
Burglary, Robbery and Theft
Here’s a quick look at what constitutes each of these crimes in Minnesota:
Theft – We’re going to start with the definition of theft because it is helps lay the framework for the other two crimes. Theft is defined as the act of intentionally taking someone else’s property without their permission. It can be taken momentarily or permanently, but if you take it without permission, it is considered theft. The item taken can also be services. For example, while pickpocketing and shoplifting are common theft examples, so too is failing to pay someone for work performed or writing checks that you know will bounce for items or services. Theft of items valued under $500 are usually considered a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $1,000. As the value of the items taken increases, so do the charges and potential penalties. Felony theft can results in tens of thousands of dollars in fines and decades in jail.
Burglary – Under Minnesota law, burglary is defined as the act of entering someone else’s home without permission with the intent of committing a crime. The intended crime does not need to be theft in order for the intruder to be charged with burglary, but it is considered the most common reason for entering a dwelling without permission. For example, if you break into someone’s home in order to damage their possessions or hurt them, you’ve committed burglary, among other crimes. Gross misdemeanor burglary is punishable with fines and up to a year in jail, while felony burglary can carry up to 20 years in prison.
Robbery – Robbery is defined as committing theft while using force or the threat of force. Breaking into someone’s house while they are gone and stealing their safe would constitute burglary and theft, but not robbery. However, going up to someone on the street and saying “Give me your purse or I’ll cut you with this knife” would lead to robbery charges. If a weapon is used or the victim is injured by the perpetrator, the charge would be upgraded from simple robbery to aggravated robbery. Felony aggravated robbery is punishable with thousands of dollars in fines and up to 20 years in prison.
Now, no level of crime is acceptable, but we wonder why Schultz invests in transforming statistics about motor vehicle theft into fearmongering about a violent crime.
Schultz is bringing up carjacking in his campaign, as Theo Keith reported on July 12 in Ellison, Schultz clash on crime in Minnesota AG's race. Unfortunately, Schultz's July 29 post reveals that he's not clear about what carjacking is.
And there's one other consequence to Schultz's confusion. At least one of his followers on Facebook interpreted ALL motor vehicle thefts as carjackings, sharing the post on his business's page, Steve Porter Trophy Whitetail.
Now, given that deer farmer Steve Porter served as a Kittson County deputy (and was appointed sheriff in 2017, serving until just after voters elected another to the office in 2018, after which he returned to work as a deputy in 2019), Bluestem would have hoped that Porter understood the difference between motor vehicle theft and carjacking (a subset of robbery). Instead, he asserts in his post that all the 3000-plus vehicle thefts are carjackings:
Nope, there aren't an average of 14 carjackings a day in Minneapolis. None of the 3000-plus auto thefts are carjackings. These guys certainly want to frighten voters.
Screengrabs: From Schultz's campaign Facebook page and Steve Porter's Trophy Whitetail Facebook page. Note: Porter confronted Walz after the gubernatorial debate at Farmfest, claiming to be a farmer the governor had ruined and a retired sheriff. It's not clear in coverage of the episode that he is still in the captive deer business.
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