CRYSTAL, Minn. — Police in Crystal say they caught two thieves involved in stealing a number of cars and keys from an auto dealership.
When they announced the arrests on social media, they included some subtext that needs a little further explanation.
Earlier this month, the Ramsey County attorney announced he will no longer prosecute felony cases that stem from minor traffic stops. Some law enforcement officials — including the Crystal police chief — are trying to prevent their prosecutors from enacting the same policy because they say pretextual stops lead to solving bigger crimes.
Early Tuesday morning, burglars struck Cities Auto in Crystal, stealing at least eight cars and 12 additional key fobs.
The crime was very similar to what happened last month at Luther Brookdale Dodge in Brooklyn Park where thieves made out with 17 cars.
In Crystal, police waited near the dealership Wednesday night, thinking the suspects might return with the key fobs to take more cars.
So when a car without a license plate drove by the dealership, police attempted to pull it over and say the driver then led them on a chase before officers caught two people and found, as police expected, missing key fobs for vehicles still in the lot.
In a Twitter post, Crystal PD included this message: "Small things lead to big arrests in police work."
That was a message to those keen on banning low-level traffic stops.
"The concern about [the] Ramsey County attorney making that policy change, that is a concern of us Hennepin chiefs in this area that it could happen here in Hennepin County," said Crystal Police Chief Stephanie Revering.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said the city would no longer prosecute felonies if the evidence was found during a low-level traffic stop.
The point, he said, is that those stops affect people of color more often, and most times don't lead to bigger arrests.
"This type of policing practice really does not deliver public safety," Choi said at a press conference.
Revering leads the Hennepin County chapter of the Chiefs of Police Association and says it will discuss this issue very soon.
"We are going to have a conversation with our Hennepin County attorney about that," Revering said.
KARE 11 ran this scenario by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office to see if they would prosecute the car thefts after catching the suspects in a traffic stop.
Their spokesman said technically their policy doesn't apply to a stop involving a missing license plate — but instead it applies to missing or expired tabs.