BACKGROUND
Dave Hutchinson or “Hutch” has served 15 years in law enforcement, working with the Metro Transit Police Department since 2006 and currently holding the position of sergeant in North Minneapolis.
Before joining Metro Transit, Hutchinson worked as an officer in Bayport, MN. He graduated from Alexandria Technical and Community College with a degree in law enforcement, continued his education at Saint Cloud State University, and is currently enrolled at Metropolitan State University.
Hutchinson grew up in a law enforcement family, including his father who was a police officer for 30 years. He currently lives in Bloomington with his husband and their dog, and he enjoys spending time with his family and volunteering with Store to Door, In-Community, church events and Shop with a Cop.
ISSUES
“No cop wants to take a human life and if they do, they need to be fired and put into treatment immediately.”
Source: Why We Run interview
Calling for greater transparency within policing, changing perceptions of policing, especially among youth, and greater representation of community members among police: “I want our people to represent the entire county and mirror the people we serve.”
Source: Why We Run interview
“One of the main reasons I’m running is to make sure that the deputies are treated with respect and dignity because if I treat them with respect and dignity, then I can demand that they treat the public with respect and dignity.”
Source: North Star Radio Hour interview with Sam Richards, 9/7/18
“If elected, I’m going to put a new system in place … a mental health professional takes over to make a determination of what a person needs. This will cut down on use of force … People with mental illness are not criminals. They’re suffering from disease. We need to treat them like we would treat anyone with a disease.”
Source: North Star Radio Hour interview with Sam Richards, 9/7/18
“Refugees aren’t a problem. Refugees have built this community.” (Referencing Sheriff Stanek’s claim of a refugee problem in meeting with President Trump.)
Source: North Star Radio Hour interview with Sam Richards, 9/7/18
“In Hennepin County, we should be more concerned about a Latino victim who gets robbed on Lake Street and is too afraid to call police because he or she thinks they are going to get deported … I feel an obligation to our friends who come here from different countries … It is not the job of law enforcement to police these people. Our job as public safety professionals is to keep people safe … in Hennepin County, you should be treated with respect and dignity, no matter who you are or what you look like.”
Source: Golden Valley League of Women Voters Candidates Forum, 7/30/18
“The current sheriff will have his staff ask for country of origin on the intake form. … Immigration attorneys have said that if a foreign-born person is arrested, we ask if they need to speak to someone from a foreign country’s consulate. It’s a change of language.”
Source: North Star Radio Hour interview with Sam Richards, 9/7/18
On the opioid crisis: “We need to do more than give people medicine to come off of an overdose … [Narcan is] a great tool, but we have to have more. We have to have counselors in the jail. We have to have deputies out in the public treating people, getting them off this horrible drug.”
Source: Golden Valley League of Women Voters Candidates Forum, 7/30/18
“If you’re a domestic abuser, you should not have a permit and you should immediately have your gun taken away.”
Source: Golden Valley League of Women Voters Candidates Forum, 7/30/18
In response to a question about public records requests: “I’m going to work with the county attorney. If the requests are lawful and they have a right, I’m not going to jeopardize my campaign promise of being transparent and fair just because I might not like something that gets released. But hopefully, I don’t have to worry about anything that gets released because I’m going into it with more of a moral compass than the current sheriff has.”
Source: North Star Radio Hour interview with Sam Richards, 9/7/18
“We need to have police officers who look like the people we serve.”
Source: Golden Valley League of Women Voters Candidates Forum, 7/30/18
“You have to have equal rights, regardless of the color of your skin or your country of origin. That what I’m going to push for as sheriff.”
Source: North Star Radio Hour interview with Sam Richards, 9/7/18
“Who cares who I love … My personal life and being part of the LGBT community has nothing to do with my ability to lead as a sheriff. It does create a positive role because I understand what it’s like to be different … I have the ability to show compassion to people of color, people of a different religion … I want to see what their perspective is.”
Source: North Star Radio Hour interview with Sam Richards, 9/7/18
