Hennepin County Sheriff's Office
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is the sheriff's office for Hennepin County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. HCSO serves one million residents and is located downtown in the city of Minneapolis, the county seat. The office manages the county jail, patrols waterways, provides security for the District Court, handles home foreclosures, participates in homeland security activities and in law enforcement, and by state law is responsible for handling applications for permits to carry a firearm for residents of Hennepin County.
The current Sheriff is David P. Hutchinson, who took office as the 28th Sheriff of Hennepin County on January 7, 2019.
Administration
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Administration manages the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, and is located in Minneapolis City Hall. The administrative staff includes Sheriff David Hutchinson, a Chief Deputy, an Enforcement Services Bureau Major, Investigations Bureau Major, Detention/Court Services Bureau Major, and the Administrative Service Bureau Major and other staff.Rank Structure
| Title | Insignia |
| Sheriff | |
| Chief Deputy | |
| Major | |
| Captain | |
| Lieutenant | |
| Sergeant | |
| Deputy |
Community Relations
In November 2016, Stanek sent 29 deputies to Oceti Sakowin to put down Lakota Sioux water protectors there during their assembly to prevent the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.Administrative Services Bureau
The Administrative Services Bureau oversees operations within the Professional Standards Division. The Professional Standards Division consists of the Personnel Unit, Employee Development Unit, and Information Technology Unit.Professional Standards Division
The Professional Standards Division consists of the Administrative Unit, the Employee Development Unit, the Personnel Unit, the Internal Affairs Unit, the Central Records Unit and the Community Engagement Team.Personnel Unit
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Personnel Unit is responsible for staffing the Sheriff's Office.The Personnel Unit includes the Background Section that conducts intensive background investigations scrutinizing the criminal, prior work performance and credit histories of each applicant to ensure they meet the high standards of employment maintained by the Sheriff's Office. The Personnel Unit provides numerous additional services to its employees and the public including posting promotional opportunities, performing policy reviews, processing payroll and benefits, managing workers' compensation claims and Family Medical Leave Act requests, processing applications for concealed weapons permits and offering fingerprinting services.
Employee Development Unit
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Employee Development Unit ensures that members of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office provides training that will enhance and support the skills, knowledge and competence of the members of the Sheriff's Office and the criminal justice community at large. The Employee Development Unit also researches and plans strategies that keep the Sheriff's Office in the forefront of advancing law enforcement practices.Investigations Bureau
The Investigations Bureau is in charge of the Investigative Division, Detective Unit, Narcotics Unit, Crime Lab Unit and Violent Offender Task Force Unit.Investigative Division
The Investigative Division includes the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force, Narcotics Task Forces, Detective Unit, and Criminal Information Sharing $ Analysis.Narcotics Unit
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit is one of the most successful drug enforcement units in the state. The Narcotics Unit works in partnership with several task forces including the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, the Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, the West Metro Drug Task Force, the Minneapolis/Hennepin Drug Task Force, the Northwest Metro Drug Task Force and the Metro Gang Strike Force. The Narcotics Unit, based in downtown Minneapolis, targets mid-to high level drug dealers and organizations.The Metro Gang Strike Force was created in 2005 by the Minnesota Legislature during a "reorganization" of Minnesota’s "approach to addressing gang and drug-related crimes".
Detectives Unit
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Detective Unit works its own cases and in cooperation with several other law enforcement agencies. Detectives from the Sheriff's Office are assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force, the Gang Prosecution Team of the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.Violent Offender Task Force Unit
VOTF was created in February 2007 to help address the problem of violent crime/offenders in Hennepin County.Forensic Sciences
The Forensic Sciences Division provides forensic services to suburban Hennepin County law enforcement agencies and several state and federal agencies.Crime Lab Unit
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Crime Lab Unit is one of three accredited crime labs in the State of Minnesota. The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board accredited the Crime Laboratory Unit in 2004 for the forensic services it provides in the criminal justice system. ASCLD/LAB also certified the unit in four of the major forensic science disciplines of analysis: Latent Prints, Firearm and Tool Marks, DNA/Biology and Crime Scene processing. The unit's Crime Scene Section was the first team of crime scene investigators in Minnesota to earn ASCLD/LAB certification.The Crime Laboratory Unit includes Administration and Support, Evidence Management, and Multi-medical Evidence.
Crime Scene Unit
Crime Scene Investigators collect evidence at crime scenes, disaster scenes, and other public safety incidents county-wide. CSIs are licensed sheriff's deputies dedicated exclusively to processing crime scenes 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Detention/Court Services Bureau
The Detention/Court Services Bureau encompasses the Adult Detention Division and the Court Services Division, as well as the Hennepin County Medical Center Sheriff's Enforcement Unit.Adult Detention Division
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office operates the largest jail in Minnesota and the only jail in the state that is accredited by the American Correctional Association. The Sheriff's Office has achieved this distinction because it maintains the highest standards of inmate custody and care.Many units and divisions within the Sheriff's Office have responsibilities and work assignments at the jail. The Sheriff's Office Adult Detention Division leads the overall management of the facility. The Sheriff's Office, as well as city, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, book arrestees into the jail. In 2013 there were 35,910 inmates booked into the facility.
The Hennepin County Jail is located in Minneapolis and occupies space in both the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility and in Minneapolis City Hall. Within the PSF there is a booking unit and 330 inmate housing beds. Across the street in City Hall, there are an additional 509 inmate housing beds on the upper floors of the building.
Court Services Division
The Court Services Division provides law enforcement services to the Fourth Judicial District Court. The division helps to ensure that the judicial system operates safely, in an orderly manner, and without disruption. In 2013, the Court Services Division escorted 33,552 defendants to court and escorted 1,667 patients to mental health court.Court Security Unit
The Court Security Unit provides security to all of Hennepin County's Fourth Judicial District. The Unit is also responsible for the security and safekeeping of all in-custody defendants making court appearances.Hennepin County Medical Center Sheriff's Enforcement Unit
The Hennepin County Medical Center Sheriff's Enforcement Unit provides 24/7 law enforcement services for the Hennepin County Medical Center and surrounding area.Enforcement Services Division
The Enforcement Services Division includes the following units: Patrol, K-9 and Transport.Communications Division
The Sheriff's Office Communications Division operates the largest consolidated public safety answering point in the Upper Midwest, dispatching for 21 fire departments and 24 police agencies in 37 communities. The 911 center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Emergency 911 Dispatch Unit
When you call 911 from many cities in Hennepin County, you will speak with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Emergency 911 Dispatch Unit. This is often the first point of contact for the caller to request assistance from the public safety community.Special Operations Division
This division is composed of the Homeland Security Unit, the Emergency Services Unit "SWAT" team and the multi-jurisdictional WMD Tactical team.Homeland Security Unit
The Homeland Security Unit coordinates a number of initiatives involving multiple local agencies and partnerships with Emergency Medical Services "EMS" and the local and State Departments of Health. The Homeland Security Unit also manages a threat and vulnerability assessment team that develops emergency response plans for various sites in Hennepin County. Homeland Security Unit personnel also work as active members of many public and private homeland security working groups, and conduct training sessions for the community, Sheriff's Office personnel and local governmental agencies.Emergency Services Unit
The Emergency Services Unit, or ESU, is a highly trained tactical response team drawn from all divisions and units of the Sheriff's Office. It consists of eight crisis negotiators and 34 licensed personnel with sophisticated tactical training complete the unit. Together, they are prepared to react to incidents requiring special weaponry and quick, highly choreographed maneuvers.Patrol Division
The Patrol Division oversees the Patrol Unit, Warrant Unit, and Water Patrol Unit. Two of the special deputy units are under the Patrol Division.The Emergency Squad consists of special deputies. The Emergency Squad responds to emergency calls and supports special events with highly trained personnel. Contained within the Emergency Squad is the Underwater Recovery Team, a group of specialists in underwater rescue and recovery. Many of the special deputies were heavily involved in the recovery efforts at the 35W bridge collapse.
The Mounted Patrol is a group of volunteers that have a love of horses and a need to serve the community. These special deputies offer horse patrols for numerous events, like the Hennepin County Fair.
Patrol Unit
The Patrol Unit provides emergency response, patrol services, service of civil papers, and warrant service to communities throughout the county.In addition, the Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement service provider to the following:
- Fort Snelling
- Greenfield
- Hanover
- Medicine Lake
- Rockford
- County Home School
- Hennepin County Workhouse
- The 133rd Airlift Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard
- The 934th Airlift Wing of the U.S. Air Force
- U.S. Navy/Marine Corps Reserves
Water Patrol Unit
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol Unit is responsible for all water-related incidents within the county. The unit fulfills the statutory duties of the Sheriff's Office on waterways and actively patrols the 104 lakes and three rivers in the county. The unit also has jurisdiction and responsibility for other bodies of water including: hottubs, public and private pools, ponds, streams, etc. The unit also provides specialty services such as ice rescue, swift water rescue, under-water recovery and airborne rescue. The unit has many specialized pieces of equipment including watercraft, snowmobiles, side scan and stationary sonar, ATV and cold water emersion suits.Warrant Unit
The Sheriff's Office is responsible for the administration and execution of service of arrest warrants, commitments and other court orders issued for persons who are wanted in Hennepin County and/or other jurisdictions. Responsibility for the execution of warrants also involves extraditing wanted individuals back to Hennepin County who are captured in other counties or states.Transport Unit
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Transport Unit transports people under the Sheriff's jurisdiction. This includes prisoners in pre-trial detention, post-conviction on the way to a correctional facility and those under the jurisdiction of the Mental Health Division of the District Court.Information Technology Division
The Information Technology Division is responsible for all information technology including software, hardware infrastructure and data systems for the Sheriff's Office. It supports over 300 software systems and technology equipment the Sheriff's Office uses to function. The Sheriff's Office IT Division is separated into two functional groups, Operations and Support Unit and Development Unit.The IT Division provides project management services, technology leadership and consulting to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office as well as other criminal justice agencies in Hennepin County and Minnesota.
Volunteer Services Division
The Sheriff's Office is proud of our civilian volunteers who donate their time to provide valuable public safety duties.Controversies
2016 Deployment to North Dakota
In October 2016, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office provided support from its special operations division in response to North Dakota officials' mutual aid requests, causing an outcry from Hennepin County citizens and leaders. HCSO deputies were deployed to Morton County, North Dakota, along with deputies from neighboring Anoka and Washington Counties, from October 23–31, 2016 as part of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact agreement between the state governments of Minnesota and North Dakota.Hundreds of citizens protested daily at Hennepin County Government Center and Minneapolis City Hall Among political leaders opposed to Sheriff Rich Stanek's decision were Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith, U.S. Representative Keith Ellison, state Representative Peggy Flanagan, state Representative Karen Clark, state Senator Patricia Torres Ray, Minneapolis City Council member Alondra Cano, Civil rights organizer Clyde Bellecourt and Hennepin County commissioners Marion Greene, Linda Higgins, Cameron Gordon, and Peter McLaughlin who, in a Facebook post said, "Indian Nations have a special interest in this issue and that interest must be protected! There's plenty for the Sheriff to do here in Hennepin County," said McLaughlin. "It is not a priority use of the Sheriff's office resources, which the Sheriff controls by virtue of his election.
An online petition by Honor the Earth called on the Sheriff's department to desist in its participation.
In response, Sheriff Stanek issued a statement explaining that his office responded to the request from North Dakota to maintain "the public's safety, preserve the peace, and protect the constitutional rights of protesters" and that the deployment was a routine mutual aid agreement between law enforcement agencies. Minnesota deputies were released from their duties in Morton County on October 31 after the state fulfilled its part of the EMAC agreement. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton stated in an interview that the deployment was a routine mutual aid response, and that "It sounds like they conducted themselves very professionally."