Minnesota's top cop shut down the interim Metro Gang Strike Force on its fifth day of operation Friday — before the new officers hit the streets — and said he doesn't see a way for it to exist in the near future.
But the law enforcement agencies that make up the task force might want to set their own course. Advisory board chairman Bud Shaver sent word Friday that he was calling a special meeting July 29 and the new investigators were being told to "stand down" until the board reached "some type of resolution," according to an e-mail he sent to board members.
Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion's announcement followed news Thursday that the commander of the interim unit was leaving his post. It wasn't the final straw, but "that's one of them," Campion said.
He said his primary rationale for shutting down the interim unit was a lack of "a common mission statement" among participating agencies. There were barely enough officers for it be operational and not enough interest from departments in the west metro, he said.
Earlier Friday, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said he was removing his employee, Capt. Chris Omodt, as the gang unit's commander because "the gang strike force unit has completely lost all of its credibility."
He also said he doesn't "believe that this Metro Gang Strike Force can ever get back on track in its current form, operation, environment."
The unit has been under fire for months; an Finternal inquiry are under way.
On May 20, the legislative auditor issued a report that said the unit had mishandled seized cash and cars. Hours after its release, officers reportedly shredded documents at the unit's office in New Brighton.
A smaller, interim Metro Gang Strike Force was formed after Campion indefinitely suspended the original unit in June.
This week, allegations surfaced that Shaver, the West St. Paul police chief and gang strike force advisory board chairman, asked in January that — as a favor to him — a St. Paul police officer arrest a convicted sex offender to get the man out of Shaver's daughter's life, according to a police report. The officer relayed the request to a Gang Strike Force member.
his daughter — who was suspected of being involved in drugs and with the convicted sex offender in a car registered to Shaver — that officers not forfeit his vehicle, a police report said.
Shaver said Thursday he wouldn't have used his position to influence another officer, hadn't asked anyone not to forfeit his car and thought he had done nothing improper in the case.
Campion said he didn't have all the facts, but from what he's heard, Shaver may have used "some bad judgment."
Omodt took over the strike force Jan. 20 and didn't know about the Shaver case until recently.
Shaver gave Omodt day-to-day direction, Stanek said. The lack of information about what happened in the Shaver case "weighed into my decision to recall Capt. Omodt and our participation in Metro Gang," Stanek said after a news conference.
Stanek said a "sequence of events" led to his decision, which revolved around "ethics and integrity in law enforcement."
Omodt had been brought in to "reform the gang strike force," and the matters under review by the FBI didn't happen when Omodt was part of the unit, Stanek said.
"It's been tremendously frustrating in recent months that I have not been able to do the important work of fighting gangs," Omodt said. "I firmly believe that combating gangs requires a coordinated effort on behalf of law enforcement and that law enforcement must have the public trust to be successful."
Stanek said he has been meeting with the 37 police chiefs in Hennepin County to determine how best to continue fighting gangs.
The St. Paul Police Department, which has its own gang unit, will remuster its resources to address gangs, said Sgt. Paul Schnell, police spokesman.
"There is a continued belief that a metro-wide entity of some form can be very effective and beneficial, but the department supports and respects the commissioner's decision and commits to participation in the future," Schnell said.
Police Chief John Harrington, who was out of town Friday, plans to continue being part of discussions about the future of gang fighting, Schnell said.
The Dakota County sheriff's office had one deputy working on the interim unit, and Chief Deputy David Bellows said the unit should regroup.
"We still feel strongly that a specific unit dealing with gang-related crimes is essential," he said.
Maplewood Police Chief Dave Thomalla, who had one officer assigned to the interim gang unit, said he's "hoping in the coming weeks that enough people can put their heads together to come up with a new alternative plan."
He said they might then make a proposal to the state Department of Public Safety for the funding that had been directed to the Metro Gang Strike Force.
The Legislature created the Minnesota Gang Strike Force in 1997; it was reorganized into the Metro Gang Strike Force in 2005 after new legislation. The law specifically directs that there be a Metro Gang Strike Force.
Campion was asked by a reporter Friday whether he had authority to shut down the unit. "I think we're probably out there a little bit. We wouldn't have done it if we didn't think we had the authority," he said.
State law doesn't specifically say the public safety commissioner controls the unit, Campion said, but he does control its funding. Participating departments have joint-powers agreements.
Campion said he or Department of Public Safety employees had talked to key legislators and the governor's office about his decision.
Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL-St. Paul, chairman of a House public safety subcommittee, said he agreed Campion had legal authority to scrap the strike force if it wasn't working.
He said he was troubled by the revelations of problems with the strike force.
The concept of the strike force was good, he said, "but the mission always was a little bit foggy." If public safety officials revive it, "we would need a whole new model," he said.
But he said he wants to wait until the FBI completes its investigation "before taking the next step."
Bill Salisbury contributed to this report. Mara H. Gottfried can be reached at 651-228-5262
Shaver also attended a gang unit's weekly meeting Jan. 27 and asked afterward BI investigation and
David
Saint Paul, MN
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1. Bud Shaver should step down. He needs to take care of business at home first. His daughter Anna needs his attention now.
2. Stanek has had it in for the MGSTF since it was started in 1997. While he was a state representative he wrote laws to cut it's funding. This whole mess would never happened if Stanek hadn't cut funding in the first place. These cops were doing a great service, but we all know you can't run a Department on no money. Stanek is responsible for this financial mess.
3. The metro police chiefs needs to get together, form their own MGSTF and leave the state out of it. The only winners here are the thugs who are laughing at us because Stanek had to have his way or totally shut down a very productive unit of law enforcement. |
Sharon4Mayor
AOL
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1. Shaver is the Cop who hasselled Alice Krengel http://alicekrengel.blogspot.com read the MN Supreme Court Order http://www.mncourts.gov/opinions/sc/current/O...A07-310 City of West St. Paul, Appellant, vs. Alice Jane Krengel, Respondent. Court of Appeals. Under the Public Nuisance Law, Minn. Stat.§§ 617.80-.87 (2008), the abatement of statutorily-defined nuisance activity, as set forth in an injunction notice, prevents the prosecuting attorney from seeking an injunction to bar use of the property. Affirmed. Justice Helen M. Meyer. Took no part, Justices Paul H. Anderson and Christopher J. Dietzen. 2. Was Bill Dahn's Campaign Bus stolen by Shaver,Budget Towing for their pecuniary Gain? http://www.angelfire.com/mn3/billdahn/bus.htm...as We are Friends/Advocates for Alice 3. Was Sharon's Car,trailer stolen re: Shaver acting in concort with Aaron Foster St.Paul Police Impound Lot and Rapid Towing? http://taxthemax.blogspot.com |
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