St. Paul, MN—State Representative Jon Koznick, R-Lakeville, is co-sponsoring legislation that establishes a carjacking crime in state statute. House File 3325 is a direct response to an alarming increase in the number of carjackings across the Twin Cities. According to the Minneapolis Police Department there were 640 carjacking in 2021, compared to 388 in 2020, and 104 in 2019.
“Rising levels of crime are top of mind for Lakeville area residents,” said Rep. Koznick. “While many focus their efforts on Minneapolis and St. Paul, the reality is that this crime wave has spread to the south metro as well. A core function of government is providing for the safety and security of citizens, and I will continue to fight hard to make sure that all Minnesotans feel safe in their neighborhoods while providing law enforcement with the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.”
There is currently no state law designating carjacking as a criminal offense. The bill establishes three levels of severity with increased penalties for the more violent the carjacking crime is.
Representative Koznick is in his fourth term, serves on the State Government Finance and Elections Committee, Transportation Committee, the Higher Education Committee and on the Minnesota Latino Affairs Council board. Koznick lives with his wife and two daughters in Lakeville and graduated from St. Cloud State University with a Marketing degree. He previously owned a mortgage company in downtown Lakeville, worked for Frandsen Bank and now owns a small real estate investment company.
###