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Washington County attorney outlines local crime trends, highlights human-trafficking task force successes
Summary
Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson briefed the Woodbury City Council on auto-theft and fleeing-vehicle trends, the role of license-plate readers in solving cases, juvenile case handling and human-trafficking recoveries, including a recent arrest that produced a 100-month sentence.
Kevin Magnuson, Washington County attorney, told the Woodbury City Council on Oct. 8 that his office has seen shifting crime patterns since 2019 and credited local law enforcement tools and task forces with helping to reverse some trends.
Magnuson, who addressed the council during the regular meeting in Council Chambers, said auto-theft charges rose after 2019 — “55 cases” in 2019, “79” in 2020 and “93” in 2021 — and fell to “47” in 2024. He attributed part of the earlier increase to pandemic-related disruptions and said automated license-plate readers (Flock cameras) installed around the county have improved investigators’ ability to locate stolen vehicles and suspects.
"When that license plate is hit by the reader, it doesn't know who's in…
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