MINNEAPOLIS — Days after witnesses reported people shooting off fireworks from the street into condos and balconies in Minneapolis' Mill District, law enforcement agencies across the Twin Cities increased their presence — with the Minnesota State Patrol releasing new numbers on those efforts Sunday.
Over the weekend, MN State Patrol assigned 20 additional troopers and air patrol resources to designated areas of the Twin Cities with a focus on street racing.
Altogether, 250 traffic stops were made in Minneapolis Saturday night alone.
Fifty-two drivers were cited for driving without a valid license, and there were 20 arrests — 11 of which were for driving while impaired.
Other citations were given out to drivers racing on the freeway and Hennepin Avenue.
Friday, Commissioner John Harrington with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said the department, along with the state patrol, would step up efforts to combat recent crime, citing a rise in gun related crimes, carjackings, and street racing in Minneapolis seen over the course of two years during the pandemic.
"Having looked at the crime trends, DPS, Minnesota State Patrol initiated a conversation with the City of Minneapolis to talk about what could the state do to assist in partnership with Minneapolis," he said. "We had done this on a very limited scale before on a couple of bad nights where there was a shooting and crashes. We saw that when we assign state patrol in the City of Minneapolis, we got a very positive reaction from the community, and the cops in Minneapolis said that they felt there was backup they could access readily."
Road barriers have since gone up in different areas across the Mill District. A spokesperson with MPD told KARE 11 barriers will be up indefinitely at different locations; along 2nd at 5th Ave S, Portland, 9th Ave S, 10th Ave S, 11th Ave S and Washington Ave S and Park Ave.
In a statement, Minnesota State Patrol's Colonel Matt Langer said, "Our goal was to swell resources to combat street racing and other illegal activity over the weekend. The results generated speak for themselves. Troopers from across Minnesota assisted and are thankful for the local law enforcement support they received while working.”
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