Hennepin County launched a new worker protection unit Thursday, promising to prosecute employers who create unsafe working conditions or rob employees of pay and benefits.

Saying the unit was "long overdue," county officials named Brian Walsh, who previously led the Minneapolis Labor Standards Enforcement unit, to lead the new operation.

"Brian has been effective and respected while doing this work in Minneapolis, and he will now bring his leadership to the entire county," said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty on Thursday while flanked by labor leaders, civil rights advocates, attorneys and Minnesota State Rep. Cedrick Frazier, D-New Hope.

Walsh led the building of Minneapolis' enforcement of higher minimum wage and sick leave policies and led investigations resulting in returning more than $1.4 million in wages to hundreds of employees who were victims of wage theft.

Moriarty said Walsh gained a national reputation for "creatively" investigating cases and working with community groups to unearth hidden abuses. In his new job, Walsh is similarly being asked to identify, investigate and prosecute crimes against workers.

Moriarty said the county will hire an additional investigator to assist with wage crimes and will soon begin education efforts designed to teach workers about their rights. Walsh is expected to work with state and federal officials to help protect vulnerable immigrant workers who help officials investigate employers who might violate labor laws in an attempt to offer cheap contracts and undercut competition.

"Too often, vulnerable workers are preyed upon" especially when they don't speak English, have proper documentation or simply don't know their rights, Moriarty said. "Wage theft and exploitation are impacting [thousands of] workers" across Hennepin County and the state.

The new unit is long overdue, said Frazier, adding it is important the county use both civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions to go after the "pervasive" practice of wage theft.

Walsh said he is excited to join the county and help fight a problem that is frequently "unchecked" and "underreported."

"Too often, workers, even children, are subject to wage theft, trafficking and hazardous work conditions," he said.

Tony McGarveywith the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades said the new unit is important, and if run properly, it should "level the playing field for legitimate employers."