Hennepin County sheriff outlines violent‑crime, fentanyl and recruitment priorities in Minnetrista address

Hennepin County Sheriff Duana Witt visited the Minnetrista City Council on July 21 to present the sheriff's office strategic priorities and to answer council questions about jail capacity, opioid overdoses and staffing.

Witt said violent‑crime reduction, opioid/fentanyl response, recruitment and retention, and community outreach are the office’s top priorities. She described the Hennepin County Jail as the state’s largest and said the facility now holds a much higher share of people charged with serious felonies than it did a decade ago. “At any given time in our facility, between 85 and 90 percent of people are there for violent felony crimes,” Witt said.

Witt described a “focus on fentanyl” initiative that combines enforcement, education and community engagement. She said the sheriff’s office runs free Narcan training and distributes naloxone kits: “We come out and we actually teach it … they give you our kits for free,” Witt said, adding that staff will come to Minnetrista community events on request.

The sheriff also discussed programs inside the jail intended to reduce recidivism, including a HOPE education program and trade‑training partnerships. “Jail time should not be wasted,” Witt said, describing educational and trade opportunities offered to people in custody.

Council members asked about the county’s funding and a Department of Corrections order that has required the office to move people to other jails. Witt acknowledged staffing and population pressures and said some inmates are being housed elsewhere to meet the order; she warned that expected budget cuts at the county could make maintaining staffing levels and proactive community policing more difficult. “We are not in a place where we can take public safety in Hennepin County lightly,” she said.

On recruitment, the sheriff said the office has instituted paid internships and a detention‑deputy training pipeline to bring in and prepare candidates. She also said the department participates in the “30 by 30” initiative to increase the proportion of women in the profession.

The visit concluded with the mayor and council thanking Witt for the presentation and saying they welcomed county public‑safety engagement in Minnetrista.

What happens next: Witt offered to schedule Narcan trainings for local events and to continue coordination with city leaders on public‑safety matters.