Friends,

The law enforcement community in Minnesota laid to rest one of its own. Shawn Schneider of Lake City was shot and killed in the line of duty while rescuing a 17 year-old girl from danger. He leaves behind a wife and three kids.

I was honored to attend his funeral with law enforcement from across Minnesota, and was grateful to see the outpouring of support for his family and community. Shawn's courage is a true example of a public servant. He is the 261st officer to die in the line of duty for the Minnesota community.

Kindly,



Rich Stanek
Hennepin County Sheriff

Round Table with Senator Klobachar

Law Enforcement Roundtables
Sheriff Stanek hosted a roundtable discussion with Senator Amy Klobuchar on Minnesota public safety issues. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Klobuchar has significant input on public safety on the federal level.

Sheriff Stanek also hosted a similar public safety roundtable with by Congressman Erik Paulsen (below) in late 2011.

Final approval received for a new Sheriff’s Office 911 Emergency Communications Center

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office recently received the final approval needed to begin construction on a new Sheriff’s Office 911 Emergency Communications Facility. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the schematic design.

"When you call 911, our dispatching system must send emergency services without delay," said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, "This is a critical service and we must have the needed infrastructure in order to provide this service in a way that is always reliable and uninterrupted."

The new Sheriff's Office 911 Emergency Communications Facility will be located in Plymouth on county-owned land adjacent to the Hennepin County Adult Correctional Facility. Ground breaking will take place later next year -- with occupancy expected in 2014. Click here for rest of release.

Hennepin County Sheriff participates in a homeland security conference at the White House

At the White House in Washington D.C., Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek is participated in a homeland security conference with counterterrorism experts and with law enforcement from across the country – including other law enforcement leaders from Minnesota.

The homeland security discussions at the White House are focusing on countering violent extremism.

“We are addressing domestic and international terrorism and it is critical that we remain vigilant in our prevention efforts,” said Sheriff Stanek, “Our discussions are an opportunity to describe the resources and partnerships that local law enforcement agencies need when preparing for an effective response to a variety of public safety emergencies – including threats and acts of terrorism.”

The meeting is titled, "State, Local, and Tribal Enforcement: Full Day Conference on Empowering Local Partners to Counter Violent Extremism in the United States.” The purpose is to inform the Administration and interagency partners on best practices, case studies, and strategies to counter violent extremism in the U.S. Click here for rest of release.

Just a Reminder.

Our political system relies on smart folks like yourselves to go to your Precinct Caucuses on February 7th. Check of Secretary of State’s website for your locations.

We are Proud of our Men and Women who serve

The sheriff’s office supports our employees who are serving overseas.

They took our HCSO flag and proudly displayed it at their camp.

Now We Know What We didn’t Know Then: The Creation of the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan following the Events of September 11,2001

By Sheriff Rich Stanek
Article published in "Sheriff" September/October 2011 - A publication of the National Sheriff Association

I am sure you remember exactly where you were the morning of September 11, 2001, when two planes flown by terrorists deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center Towers, a third plane was intentionally crashed into the Pentagon and fourth attempt was thwarted and the plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. There were 2996 deaths, and 2977 victims, including 411 emergency workers who died attempting to rescue victims and fight fires. That day forever changed the world and introduced the United States to terrorism.

But do you know the significance of August 6, 2001? Just 36 days prior to the attacks? The events of that day have forever changed the way we operate in the law enforcement community. On August 6th, 2001, the CIA President’s Daily Brief mentioned unconfirmed reports that Osama Bin Laden was planning to retaliate against the United State with a terror attack, “follow the example of the World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef, and bring the fighting to America.” The document is haunting, and begs the question: Could the attacks have been prevented if we had known better how to use the information?

Click here to read the full article.