No-Knock Warrants Not Used in Rochester, Olmsted County in 2022
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Minnesota BCA has recently released data summarizing the use of no-knock-warrants across the state last year.
State law requires local law enforcement agencies to disclose no-knock warrant information to the Department of Public Safety. 2022 was the first full year of reported data.
The BCA says statewide law enforcement requested 185 no-knock warrants. 179 were approved, 158 were executed and 148 led to the discovery of evidence sought by the warrant. None of the 185 no-knock warrant requests last year came from the Rochester Police Department (RPD) or the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.
Rochester Police Spokeswoman Amanda Grayson said the last time RPD requested a no-knock warrant was in January of 2021. She says RPD requested the no-knock for a situation in which a subject was holding a person hostage at a Rochester Motel and although approved by a judge, officers never engaged in a no-knock warrant service.
Grayson described RPD’s warrant process to KROC News, “As with any warrant we execute, a threat assessment is conducted beforehand, and the warrant is thoroughly reviewed by an RPD supervisor, the County Attorney’s Office and a judge. It is extremely rare for RPD to apply for a no-knock warrant and execute a no-knock warrant.”
Grayson said the Rochester Police Department has yet to request a no-knock warrant in 2023.
Olmsted County Sheriff’s Captain Tim Parkin said the sheriff’s office’s policy regarding warrant execution is similar to the RPD’s. He says the sheriff’s office also has not requested or executed a no-knock warrant this year.
The RPD’s warrant policy is available by clicking here. The full BCA report regarding no-knock warrant use can be found by clicking here.
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