I was born and raised in Hopkins. Angela and I are raising our four kids in Minneapolis. This is our home.  I love it here and want Hennepin County to thrive now and in the future. This moment is our chance to change course and choose the kind of county we want to be. One where safety is a right for all, regardless of zip code or tax bracket. One where no one is above the law, and accountability is required. One where this office serves the public and makes us safer.

We can do better. Together, we will.

My Roadmap for Safety and Justice

I'm Anders Folk. I'm a Marine, a career prosecutor, and the former Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota. I'm running for Hennepin County Attorney with a comprehensive plan to make our neighborhoods safer and our justice system fairer.

This plan comes at a critical moment. Crime in Minneapolis has come down from the all-time highs of 2021, but Hennepin County residents still experience violent crime and property crime at rates higher than historical averages, and higher than many peer cities across the country. Below, I lay out the concrete changes I will bring to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and the standards you can use to hold my office accountable.

  • The Challenges We Face

    Between 2019 and 2025, Minneapolis saw homicides rise 30 percent, domestic violence rise 10 percent, and motor vehicle theft rise 70 percent. Aggravated assault has climbed about 28 percent since 2015, even as it fell roughly 13 percent in St. Paul over the same period.

    Minneapolis has made real gains, including double-digit declines in burglary, robbery, and larceny since 2019 and a 2026 homicide rate that is, so far, trending below 2025. But those gains still leave us facing far higher crime rates than people in many comparable cities. In 2025, Minneapolis saw more than double the robberies per capita of Atlanta and more than two and a half times the robbery rate of Boston, along with residential burglary rates 38 to 71 percent higher than Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Austin, and Los Angeles.

    That gap is why so many of our neighbors do not feel safe. I intend to close it.

    Five Principles Guiding My Plan

    My plan is built on five principles: focused enforcement against the small number of people driving violence, well-trained and accountable law enforcement, support for crime victims, effective prevention and intervention, and measurable results the public can track.

    I've written five policy white papers that translate those principles into specific commitments for the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. Here is what each one delivers.

    1. Focus on Violent and Repeat Offenders

    I will prioritize swift, evidence-based charging of repeat offenders and those responsible for violent and gun crime. I will create a standing violent-crime review team and rapid-review protocols for gun cases, stand up a coordinated task force against illegal firearm trafficking and straw purchasing, and make sure every prosecutor in my office is fully trained on ballistic and crime-gun intelligence tools like NIBIN.

    I will aggressively prosecute fentanyl traffickers while taking a public health first approach to people struggling with addiction. And I will preserve meaningful diversion options for nonviolent offenders.

    2. Build and Maintain Law Enforcement Partnerships

    Effective public safety requires prosecutors and police working together. I will rebuild partnerships with law enforcement and justice partners across the county, provide regular training on best practices and constitutional compliance, and ensure that lawful arrests lead to real consequences, not catch and release or declination without explanation.

    I am also committed to transparency in how my office reviews and charges officer-involved use-of-force cases.

    3. A Juvenile Justice System That Works

    My plan centers on the safety and well-being of Hennepin County's young people. First-time, nonviolent offenders will be prioritized for diversion, vocational training, mentoring, and therapeutic support. Violent and repeat offenders, particularly those using firearms, will face appropriate consequences.

    I will convene a working group on first-time juvenile gun-possession offenses and a task force to address regional capacity gaps in youth behavioral health and public safety resources.

    4. Treat Community Trust as a Crime Reduction Tool

    A County Attorney's Office creates public safety by earning trust. I will hold regular neighborhood meetings and listening sessions, publish transparent reporting on crime trends and case data, and support credible community partners working in conflict mediation, hospital-based intervention, mentoring, and job placement.

    I will also establish school-safety partnerships that bring educators, law enforcement, and behavioral health professionals together to keep students and teachers safe.

    5. Meeting the Challenge of Technology and Artificial Intelligence

    Criminals are exploiting ghost guns, illegal switches, and artificial intelligence. I will create a Technology Task Force to guide policy and constitutional safeguards within the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. My plan requires independent, third-party validation of technologies before they are used, strict data security and audit standards in county technology contracts, and community education and bias review before any AI tool affecting the justice system is deployed.

    The Record to Deliver

    I bring decades of experience in complex criminal litigation to this plan. As Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, I signed the federal indictment charging Derek Chauvin with violating George Floyd's civil rights. I led the office as it secured a 53-year sentence for the white supremacist who firebombed the Dar al Farooq mosque. And I led a multi-jurisdictional effort that dismantled an armed robbery ring terrorizing the Twin Cities.

    Hennepin County deserves a proactive, accountable, and experienced hand leading the County Attorney's Office. This is my roadmap for delivering it.

    Read the full policy white papers below.

Background

At a time when many cities in the United States have seen material reductions in homicide rates, Minneapolis has not kept pace. Between 2019-2025, Minneapolis has seen homicide rates increase by 30%. Minneapolis has also seen increases in domestic violence (10%), and motor-vehicle theft (70%) during the same time period. Looking back even further, aggravated assault rates in Minneapolis have increased ~28% since 2015-2025. While in St. Paul, aggravated assault rates have dropped by ~13% over the same period.

  • Fortunately, Minneapolis has seen a reduction in some types of crime over that time. For example, Minneapolis has had reductions in residential burglaries (30.2%), non-residential burglaries (32%), robbery (18.7%), and larceny (18.3%) between 2019-2025. Looking at 2015-2025, robbery has declined ~57%. While we do not yet have complete 2026 numbers, the homicide rate in Minneapolis in 2026 is, year-to-date, trending lower than 2025. A positive sign. 

    These reductions, however, are only part of the story. Compared to many other cities in the United States, Minneapolis residents experience more crime per 100,000 people (per capita) than residents of many other major cities across the United States. 

    For example, in 2025, Minneapolis experienced higher numbers of robberies than residents in cities including Milwaukee, Memphis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco and New York City. In some cases, Minneapolis residents experienced much higher rates. For example, Minneapolis experienced over 200% the number of robberies per 100,000 residents than Atlanta, Georgia, and over 248% the number of robberies per 100,000 residents than Boston, Massachusetts. That Minneapolis has at least twice as many robberies per 100,000 residents than Atlanta and Boston helps to explain why many perceive Minneapolis to be unsafe. 

    Similarly, Minneapolis experienced significantly higher numbers of residential burglaries than many cities: Los Angeles, California (Minneapolis is ~71% higher); Austin, Texas (Minneapolis is ~70.1% higher); Chicago, Illinois (Minneapolis is ~64% higher); Dallas Texas (Minneapolis is ~63% higher) Denver, Colorado (Minneapolis is ~38% higher). Looking at crime rates from 2015-2025 Minneapolis’s violent crime rate per capita is ~7.8% higher in 2025 than it was in 2015.

    This means Minneapolis residents are experiencing higher crime rates than many peer cities and the trend lines in Minneapolis for some of the most devastating crimes, such as homicide, are not yet moving in a positive direction compared to pre-pandemic crime rates.This not only impacts our quality of life, but makes it harder to build and sustain businesses, raise families, and drive visitors to Minnesota’s largest city and economic engine of our state.

    It is time for a new day in Hennepin County. 

    As part of my campaign for Hennepin County Attorney, I want to expand on themes and initiatives that we have laid out and outline work required to drive change at the County Attorney’s Office and make Hennepin County safe for everyone.

Focus on Violent and Repeat Offenders

1.

We must prioritize swift, fair and evidence-based charging of those who commit homicide, gun crimes, armed repeat offenders, trafficking networks, and illegal gun suppliers. 

    • Target the highest-risk violent offenders and illegal firearm suppliers. This will include a standing violent-crime review team in the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to rapidly review cases involving shootings, armed repeat offenders, straw purchasing, firearm trafficking, gang-linked crimes, and violent drug trafficking. The priority is to take on people and organizations that are most responsible for serious harm. 

    • Build rapid review protocols for gun crimes. We will require prosecutors and investigators to review serious firearms cases promptly, determining the most appropriate charging venue (state or federal), identify related cases, and act quickly when violence strikes.

    • Create a coordinated anti-gun-trafficking and straw-purchasing task force. The County Attorney will partner with law enforcement to assign dedicated investigators and prosecutors to perform investigations focused on illegal firearm transfers, firearm trafficking networks and prohibited persons involved in violent crime. 

    • Ensuring prosecutors’ fluency in use of crime gun intelligence and ballistic-investigation. Use of NIBIN ballistic intelligence and related forensic tools to identify and investigate violent offenders and unlawful firearms traffickers are critical to quickly solving gun crimes. We will ensure our prosecutors and investigators are leveraging this technology in every case and working to coordinate analysis of shooting patterns throughout Hennepin County to solve gun crimes.  

    • Support a dual track overdose strategy. Fentanyl and opioid traffickers will be a target for prosecution, with a particular emphasis on those who use firearms or violence to facilitate their trafficking. Users and individuals suffering addiction will be a priority for public health services as a primary response, with enforcement as a secondary priority.

    • Embed Prosecutors with Law Enforcement. To facilitate accurate and timely decisions about charging criminal conduct in high-crime and high risk areas, the County Attorney’s Office will partner with law enforcement agencies and City Attorneys to embed prosecutors with law enforcement. This will reduce time spent presenting cases for prosecution and ensure the County Attorney’s Office can work with law enforcement to move quickly on high priority matters that impact public safety.

    • Effective Diversion for those who commit non-violent offenses. Nonviolent offenders, including nonviolent gun offenders, do not all deserve a criminal record or incarceration. I will ensure the County Attorney’s office provides appropriate diversion options for nonviolent offenders. 

Build and Maintain Law Enforcement Partnerships

2.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is the largest public law office in the state. The County Attorney must lead from the front and set a proactive, coordinated public safety strategy alongside justice partners. 

    • Strong and consistent partnerships with law enforcement. The County Attorney’s Office will create and execute its public safety strategy in partnership with law enforcement partners from across the county. The most effective public safety strategies are the result of law enforcement and prosecutors working together.

      • This collaboration can help ensure that law enforcement resources are effectively allocated and that the “catch and release” of law breakers will not occur. Law enforcement should know that when they carry-out lawful arrests, the County Attorney’s Office will do its part to ensure appropriate consequences.

    • Clear communication and expectations. Law enforcement officials deserve clear guidance and training from the County Attorney’s Office. In my experience, prosecutors play a critical role in educating and training law enforcement officers on best practices. I am committed to providing regular training and education to law enforcement partners across Hennepin County on best practices for ensuring compliance with the law and Constitution.  

    • Accountability for our law enforcement officers is key to building public trust. I am committed to ensuring law enforcement officers follow the law and meet my high expectations for police work. As County Attorney, I am committed to sharing the process and analysis used for reviewing cases involving officer-involved use of force and whether the filing of criminal charges is appropriate in a particular case.  

A JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT WORKS

3.

The current approach is failing our juveniles. The Hennepin County Attorney must balance compassion with consequence on a case-by-case basis. We need to continue investing in restorative justice and diversion programs while ensuring the right level of consequence for violent and repeat offenders who pose a public safety risk to our community. 

    • Appropriate consequences for violent repeat offenders. Violent, repeat offenders, and particularly those who use firearms in the commission of offenses, require consequences that ensure public safety. For the last four years, the County Attorney has failed to provide any leadership or initiatives surrounding gang crime, organized crime, violent and repeat offenders.

    • Address regional capacity constraints to support young people. The County Attorney will convene leaders from the public safety, public health, and education communities to analyze and make recommendations around how best to ensure our juvenile justice system provides an adequately sourced, comprehensive continuum of services with alternatives to simply facing no consequences or more severe charges. The taskforce will also examine behavioral health needs and resources.

    • Breaking cycles. As County Attorney, I am committed to a fair system focused on the well-being of our youth, prioritizing our children’s safety within families and steering them away from patterns of criminalization that undermine public safety. 

    • Focus on rehabilitation. . First-time, non-violent offenders should be a priority for rehabilitation. This includes diversion programs and a focus on vocational training, mentoring, education, and therapeutic intervention.

      • Diversion that focuses on following the law and personal accountability promote rehabilitation and reduce repeat offenses.

      • Convene a working group to create a strategy for dealing with first-time, non-violent gun offenses (possession) with juveniles. 

TREAT COMMUNITY TRUST AS A CRIME REDUCTION TOOL

4.

The County Attorney’s Office must lead from the front. The County Attorney’s Office must be known as a good partner and be visible throughout Hennepin County. Building trust across the county requires constant and consistent engagement with the county’s many diverse communities and clear communication about the work of the office.

  • Accessibility matters. The County Attorney will hold regular neighborhood meetings and listening sessions, provide clear explanations of priorities, and accessible ways for residents to provide safety information to law enforcement or other public safety partners. 

      • The County Attorney’s Office will be transparent and accountable. In partnership with law enforcement, the County Attorney will provide the public information regarding crime trends, location analysis, victimization data, and seek community input to help direct investigations and prosecutions. 

      • Building community-based partnerships. The County Attorney’s office will help identify and support credible community-based partners that focus on conflict mediation, hospital-based intervention, mentoring, behavioral health care, job placement and support for individuals at a high risk of committing or suffering violence.

      • Creating and leading school partnerships focused on safety in our schools. This includes a focus on prevention and rapid response when issues arise. The County Attorney will partner with our educators and law enforcement members to ensure appropriately trained educators, public safety professionals, and behavioral health professionals are working together to make our schools safe places for children and teachers.

IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE STRATEGY

5.

We must ensure that our crime prevention strategy and prosecution keep pace with technological change. As technology continues to sprint forward, we must ensure we are utilizing every available legal authority to take on those who manufacture and use ghost guns, “switches” that convert semi-automatic firearms to fully automatic weapons, and those who utilize artificial intelligence to commit crimes or to hide their crimes.

    • To ensure the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is a leader in the investigation and charging of technology-enhanced criminal activity, I will create a Technology Task Force to drive policy on use and constitutional safeguards surrounding the use of technology in the criminal justice system. 

    • As the leader of the largest public law office in Minnesota, I will seek to create a state-wide task force, using the Minnesota County Attorney’s Association and partnership with the Attorney General to ensure that Minnesota is a recognized leader in understanding the potential impacts of technology, in particular Artificial Intelligence, on the criminal justice system.

    • Examples of the types of issues that require review and action include: 

      • AI used for writing police reports

      • Integrated surveillance networks that rely and utilize AI

      • Facial Recognition Technology (FRT)

      • AI Software for review and analysis of evidence by public defenders and prosecutors

      • Use of AI to reveal and reduce bias in decisionmaking, including prosecutors’ charging decisions and assessing risk and sentencing options for criminal defendants

    • Require independent, third-party validation for systems and technologies that impact detention or public safety like facial recognition technology. 

    • The process that Hennepin County uses to procure services from third-party vendors involving technology and AI should ensure that contracts the County enters have performance standards, strict data rights, options for audits and termination rights, all in an effort to ensure confidentiality and data security.

    • Before any AI-involved products are utilized, community education and input is critical and analysis of impacts to various demographic groups – with a particular emphasis on ensuring no bias is built into the technology.