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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 the car. It just knows that it's matching something in a database," Magnuson said, describing the cameras as a neutral investigative tool when used with appropriate safeguards.
Nut graf: Magnuson emphasized prosecutorial discretion, juvenile diversion and cooperative enforcement. He singled out the East Metro human-trafficking task force and the county's ability to obtain electronic warrants and location data as decisive in recent rescues and prosecutions.
He described the office's charging standards: prosecutors file charges only when there is a reasonable likelihood of proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt and when charging is ethically appropriate. "We do our best to do the right thing at the right time the right way," Magnuson said.
On violent incidents and vehicle pursuits, Magnuson said the county is concerned about adults fleeing law enforcement in motor vehicles. He recounted that charges for fleeing in a motor vehicle rose from 35 in 2018 to 111 in 2022 and were 75 in 2024; his office seeks the maximum lawful charges in serious, dangerous pursuits.
Magnuson also described the human-trafficking task force's work in recovering missing and endangered youths. He recounted a recent case in which task-force investigators used a victim's app and phone-location data to find a 14-year-old at a Newport motel and subsequently used the phone to lure and arrest a suspect who was later sentenced to 100 months in prison and must register as a sex offender.
On juvenile offenders, Magnuson said the majority are handled with diversion and do not reoffend: "The vast majority of kids that come into our office have done something stupid...we charge them, and we usually put them through diversion, and then we usually never hear from them again." He added that a small number of individuals with persistent, serious crimes account for a disproportionate share of court work.
Magnuson praised local policing and interagency cooperation, naming Woodbury's police and the county sheriff's office as partners: he told the council he and Sheriff Dan Stry "see eye to eye," which he said makes joint work easier.
Ending: Magnuson offered to take questions and remained available after his remarks; the council did not take formal action on the presentation.
