Overview

• Sheriff Dawanna Witt and Hennepin County Chiefs of Police Association President Scott Boerboom led a Friday news conference criticizing the policy as harmful to public safety.
• The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office will decline felony cases that stem solely from non‑public‑safety stops, with prosecutions continuing for dangerous driving and for cases deemed a compelling public‑safety interest.
• Moriarty cites data showing guns were recovered in less than 0.5% of moving‑violation stops in 2017–2018 and says the change aims to curb racially disparate pretextual enforcement.
• Opponents point to recent seizures, with Witt saying deputies confiscated 377 illegally possessed guns and that 47% were found during lawful traffic stops.
• The state police union condemned the shift, while Ramsey County’s John Choi noted his similar policy since 2021 freed resources without measurable harm to public safety.