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Sheriff urges legislative fix for juvenile transports after time‑consuming trips to Grand Forks
Summary
Sheriff Lee told commissioners that legal requirements often require juvenile trips to Grand Forks that force multiple round trips in a single day and said he will pursue legislative change to allow video hearings to reduce time, cost and safety risks to youth; he also highlighted 458 traffic stops in July and a drop in accidents.
Sheriff Lee reported to the commission on July activity and operational concerns. He said schools resume Aug. 20 and urged caution for children in school zones. He described juvenile transports that require multiple round trips to Grand Forks for short hearings and told commissioners he will seek legislative change to permit remote hearings to reduce travel time, cost and safety risks for youth and staff.
The sheriff also highlighted enforcement activity during local events: "you see 458 traffic stops there, which is insanely high for us for the month of July," he said, noting a spike driven by grant‑related activities and crediting visible enforcement for a drop in accidents from the usual ~20 per month to 10 in July.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about destinations for juvenile transports (Grand Forks, Bismarck, Minot) and expressed support for exploring remote‑hearing options with state legislators.
