Map shows glaring scope of auto theft increase in Walz's Minneapolis: 'Deterrence problem'
Auto thefts in Minneapolis shot up 34% during the first 2 months of 2026
By Andrew Mark Miller Fox News
Published March 17, 2026 9:29am EDT
The city of Minneapolis has seen a dramatic increase in auto thefts so far in 2026, causing rising pressure on Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey to address the situation.
The worrying trend was highlighted by Crime Watch Minneapolis, a volunteer-operated news organization, which shared a graphic on X showing how widespread the problem has become throughout the city. More than 1,000 auto thefts were reported in January and February of this year in Minneapolis, a city of approximately 430,000 people. This represents an increase of nearly 35% compared to the same period last year, according to Crime Watch Minneapolis.
The trend appears to be continuing into March, with at least 14 reported auto thefts between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. on March 14 and six more during the afternoon on that same day, according to the news site.
Over the last few months, Walz and Frey have made numerous statements attacking ICE and blaming federal immigration authorities for making the city less safe. Earlier this year, the two were the focus of a Department of Justice investigation into an alleged conspiracy to coerce or obstruct federal law enforcement during U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota.
Additionally, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara suggested to local media that Trump's Operation Metro Surge was a "contributing factor" to the rise in auto thefts because "officers and investigators were consistently pulled from their normal assigned duties."
"This isn’t an ICE problem," retired Minnesota State Patrol Lt. John Nagel told Fox News Digital. "It’s a deterrence problem."
"As a 30-year law enforcement veteran, I can tell you this: auto theft goes down when city leaders make it a priority and criminals know there will be consequences. We’ve seen that in St. Paul, where focused enforcement drove car theft down sharply, while Minneapolis is back over 1,000 auto thefts in just the first two months of this year."
Nagel, running for Congress as a Republican against Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital that Frey and Walz have "spent years making excuses, undermining deterrence, and tolerating a revolving door for repeat offenders—especially juveniles."
Minneapolis auto theft locations in January and February 2026 compiled by Crime Watch Minneapolis. (Minneapolis Crime Watch)
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