Hennepin County Taxpayer Watchdog

Last week, the county board voted 4-3 to lay over (and possibly kill) a request by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office for federal funding of a “Kingfish” cell phone tracking device.  It was the second time the board has postponed a vote on this request, likely making it difficult for the Sheriff’s Office to meet the deadlines for our local congressional representatives.

The Kingfish, as I understand it, is not capable of listening to cell phone conversations, but can track the location of a cell phone that is on but not being used.  This device has been used by other law enforcement agencies around the country to track missing or abducted children who are carrying a cell phone or who are with someone who is carrying a cell phone.  I am told that a court order is required before the Kingfish can be used to track a cell phone in any particular case. Read more…

Major Changes Underway in Dealing with Juvenile Offenders

I often focus on the negative in this blog, pointing out those things that I believe are ill-conceived or wasteful in Hennepin County. That doesn’t mean that Hennepin County isn’t providing many excellent and crucial services to the taxpayers of the county on a daily basis. Those many positive things, however, are frequently touted by the media and by the county’s active public relations staff.

One of the main purposes of this blog is to inform taxpayers of those matters that they might not otherwise know about - those things that the media has missed and the county doesn’t choose to trumpet (such as the monthly Golden Fire Hydrant). Not surprisingly, those things are usually not all that positive.

I do intend, however, to give credit where it is due on occasion, especially when county leadership and staff are willing to take difficult steps to reform or streamline the way services are provided in Hennepin County. Read more…