Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara is responding to recent comments made by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarity who suggests Minneapolis police officers aren't doing enough to get cases involving violent carjackings in the city to her in order to charge.
O'Hara fired back saying that's just not true.
"Any implication that the Minneapolis cops are not doing everything they can to try and solve that problem, not partnering with the people to try and address it, is just not true and it's a slap in the face to the cops that are out there every single day putting their lives on the line to try and resolve this problem as quickly as we can."
Moriarity made the comments talking about a new youth diversion plan, which she says is working.
O'Hara says he supports diversion, but that many of these violent cases are not cases you can divert.
"I'm am all for diverting juveniles when appropriate," he says. "But that is not the problem we are dealing with right now. We need to do everything we can to get these violent juveniles arrested, charged, and off the street."
O'Hara has recently told WCCO Radio that the ages of some of the juveniles is shockingly young.
"I believe one of the kids arrested last night is 12-years old," O'Hara told WCCO's Adam and Jordana in February. "I don't think it's his first, in fact I'm certain it's not his first interaction with the police."