ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota State Patrol will increase its presence in Minneapolis and across the Twin Cities over the coming weeks in response to an increase in street racing and other criminal activity.
“The lawless and dangerous street racing we are seeing is unacceptable and must stop,” said Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, in a statement. “The State Patrol has been providing considerable resources to the Twin Cities through the summer, and that is what you will see again this weekend.”
According to a news release, the increased patrols will include 20 additional state troopers focused on street racing, as well as added aviation resources around the metro, particularly Minneapolis, on July 8 and 9.
The Minnesota State Patrol will also continue "high visibility patrols" to assist the Minneapolis Police Department, which includes assigning four troopers in two squad cars to areas of the city deemed "high crime" locations.
"Troopers do not respond to 911 calls, but do coordinate with MPD officers on work that originates out of the patrols," the Department of Public Safety said in a news release.
The State Patrol's Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) program will also continue across the metro. According to DPS, the speed-reduction program has led to 14,000 traffic stops so far this year, including 203 arrests.
“We have seen dangerous activity escalate in the Twin Cities metro region in the last few weeks,” said DPS Commissioner John Harrington in a statement, adding that the State Patrol and Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) “are continuing to work in partnership bringing together our state, local and federal agencies to hold offenders accountable and to keep our communities safe.”
The Department of Public Safety said the BCA has assigned 12 investigators and and a criminal analyst to focus on gun crimes and homicide investigations in Minneapolis and nearby communities, while also stepping up the processing of violent crimes and reducing a backlog of firearms evidence.
In its news release, DPS noted that gun-related crimes, street racing and carjackings have increased significantly over the past two years. In May, Governor Tim Walz provided DPS with $4 million to support increased patrols and other initiatives.
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