Community Safety Message

Richard W. Stanek is the 27th Sheriff of Hennepin County. He was first sworn in on January 1, 2007, was re-elected in 2010 and 2014, and is currently serving his third term.

As a 32-year veteran of law enforcement, Sheriff Stanek began in the Minneapolis Police Department, rising through the ranks from Patrol Officer to Commander of Criminal Investigations.  While serving as a police officer, Sheriff Stanek was elected five times to the Minnesota State Legislature where he authored the state’s felony DWI law. In 2003, he was appointed as Commissioner of Public Safety & Director of Homeland Security for Minnesota. 

Sheriff Stanek earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Hamline University. He and his family live in Maple Grove.