Minutes - 1998/02/23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROVED Page 2 February 23, 1998 Mounds View City Council S. CONSENT AGENDA: MOTION/SECOND: Koopmeiners/Gunn to Approve the Consent Agenda as presented. VOTE: 5 ayes 0 nays Motion Carried 6 RESIDENTS REQUESTSAND COMMENTS FROM THE FLDOR• Mayor McCarty explained that this is the time for residents to address the council with concerns on items that aze not on the Agenda. There were no questions or comments from the floor. 7. COUNCIL BUSINESS: A. Discussion with Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner. Ms. Susan Gaertner, Mr. Jack Rhodes and Al Zdrazil of the Ramsey County Attorney's Office were present • to update the Council on ways they aze working to address the problems of crime in Ramsey County. Ms. Gaertner noted that the three major azeas they aze targeting -prevention, intervention and detention. She noted that her premier prevention program in Ramsey County is Child Support Enforcement. Ramsey County is the only county in the State of Minnesota that has full responsibility of collecting Child Support. Their office collects approximately $40 million per yeaz of Child Support to provide for the children of the community. Their office tries to do everything possible to replace a child's welfaze check with a Child Support Check which in the long run creates more self sufficient families and more stable communities. Ms. Gaertner noted that Ramsey County also has a Truancy Intervention Program (TIP) which is designed to improve the attendance of students. She noted that 76% of the students who have gone through the Truancy Intervention Program have improved their school attendance. The connection between truancy and unempIoyment/crime was discussed. Ms. Gaertner explained how the County administers this program. She provided statistics from the Mounds View azea schools, noting that there has been a good response to this program from the Mounds View schools. The Detention Program contains a Gangs and Guns Unit and a Plea Negotiation Policy. The Gangs & Guns Unit began in 1995 and has prosecuted 141 cases involving guns and gang related crime during 1997 (the ftrst yeaz of operation). The Plea Negotiations Policy also began in 1995. Under this program, the defendants aze to be chazged under the stiffest available laws and defendants face a minimum of 18 months to three yeazs in prison for the first time they use a gun and five years for the second time. She noted that Ramsey County exceeds the State average in Mandatory Prison sentences. Mayor McCarty asked how the Teen Court project has been going in participating communities. Ms. Gaertner noted that Roseville's program is a two yeaz pilot program and that Ramsey County has been working with the Roseville community on it. After the two year period they will be able to determine the impact of the program and the results. She noted that Ramsey County would like to be part of any Teen Court project within the County. She stated she would encourage Mounds View to think about a Teen Court project.