Sheryl Ramstad Hvass thinks the University community reflects a cross section of the crime issues affecting the entire Hennepin County.
To her, people at the University want to be safe not only in their community, but also safe at their homes and neighborhoods.
“The questions that I have been asked by University students are the same questions of the community at large,” said Ramstad Hvass, who graduated from the University in 1972 with a psychology degree.
Therefore, Ramstad Hvass wants to make sure that people feel safe anywhere in the county. She hopes to accomplish that by becoming a meaningful partner with the law enforcement and Hennepin County. The sister of Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., Ramstad Hvass is endorsed by the Republican Party and several law enforcement groups.
Ramstad Hvass hopes to attack gangs and get guns out of the hands of kids, criminals and drug dealers. She wants to revamp the juvenile court system, start charging for property crimes and hold people who are violating the laws accountable for their actions.
“As long as we have the catch and release in our criminal justice system, it would keep the criminals in our community,” said Ramstad Hvass, who worked as a Hennepin County public defender and judge. She also has experience in federal and private law arenas. Currently, she is a partner at the law firm Rider Bennett Egan & Arundel.