Hennepin County Attorney's race/Jarvis Jones: It's time for a change

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Most of us agree that it's time for a change in leadership in the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. We don't feel safe. The criminal justice system continues to mistreat residents of color. Hennepin County needs a leader who will speak hard truths and take tangible steps to rectify this situation.

Harry Truman, one of my favorite presidents, was known for speaking unpopular hard truths. In 1948, a supporter yelled "Give 'em hell, Harry!" and Truman replied, "I don't give them hell. I just tell the truth about them, and they think it's hell." Here are five hard truths that we need to acknowledge:

Hard Truth No. 1: Crime is out of control.

Carjackings have soared; too many guns are on the street; a sense of order in Minneapolis has been lost, and violent crime has spread to the surrounding suburbs. Understandably, people don't feel safe anymore. Too many of our elected leaders are afraid to bluntly speak this simple hard truth: Crime is completely out of control. We need a prosecutor who is unapologetic in saying that Job One for a prosecutor is keeping our community safe. As your prosecutor, I pledge to take back our streets, our neighborhoods and the downtown area — without apology.

Hard Truth No. 2: Our criminal justice system continues to treat some residents of color as second-class citizens.

Hard Truth No. 3: We need a leader who can identify with and speak to our troubled young men.

Not surprisingly, many residents of color have a strong distrust of our criminal justice system. Law enforcement and prosecutors are often viewed as the mortician because they only bring bad news. As a Black male who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, I can personally relate to many of our troubled young men. I also understand firsthand what it means to be pulled over for simply "driving while Black." I won't need a cultural translator. If elected, I will be out in our troubled and diverse communities on a weekly basis, and one of my first hires will be a community-engagement liaison who will report directly to me.

Hard Truth No. 4: It's time for real change!

We need new leadership with an actual written plan to make our streets safer and fairer to all residents — regardless of if that resident lives in Edina or Minneapolis.

I have more than 25 years of litigation and management experience in law firms. I was also a vice president at a Fortune 300 company managing hundreds of employees; the first Black president of the Minnesota State Bar and Hennepin County Bar Associations; and was twice elected president of the Minnesota Minority Lawyers Association. However, that's not why you should vote for me. Vote for me because I'm the only candidate who won't make you choose between safe streets and criminal justice reform. We will have both. Vote for me because for over 30 years, I have been a change agent and a bridge-builder in the legal community and across our diverse communities.

Hard Truth No. 5: Are you happy with how things are going?

On Aug. 9, Hennepin County residents will be presented with that question. If you want more of the same, vote for the politicians and system-insiders who got us here. If you want change, vote for me.