RICHFIELD, Minn. — The hidden red and blue lights and solid black paint job are the only low-profile aspects of an otherwise high-riding police pickup that has been patrolling the streets of Richfield and several other south metro departments for the past year.
The unique vantage point is all aimed at addressing a high-priority issue.
"There is a lift kit on this truck," said Richfield Police Sgt. Matt Steen. "So we don't have to crane our necks to see that they're holding their phone in their lap and that's where most people hold it is down in their lap."
The unique squad truck has helped officers see violations of Minnesota's hands-free cell phone law, and the four cameras on board also record evidence.
"Monitors for all four cameras are up front here by the driver," Steen said.
In case you're wondering, the truck also features the same monitors, which are used by a second officer dedicated to observing, ticketing and documenting that activity.
"It allows us, as police officers, to make sure we're not distracted," Steen said. "We're able to have somebody concentrated and focused on driving."
Since deploying the car, Richfield's officers aren't the only ones using it for targeted enforcement.
"We've partnered with Eden Prairie, Edina, Bloomington, St Louis Park, Airport and Hopkins," Steen said. "They all have their own badges they can put on the pickup."
According to Richfield, the truck helped those agencies write 179 distracted driving tickets and 313 seatbelt tickets in 2023.
That was enough for the Office of Traffic Safety, with money approved from the legislature, to expand funding for the trucks to these nine other agencies:
- Orono Police Department
- St. Paul Police Department
- Blaine Police Department
- Olmsted County Sheriff's Office
- Eagan Police Department
- Grand Rapids Police Department
- Brooklyn Park Police Department
- Washington County Sheriff's Office
- Elk River Police Department
"We do expect the other agencies to be collaborating with other agencies in their counties as well," said Shannon Grabow, Enforcement Coordinator for the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety.
The need is clear. Despite public awareness campaigns and targeted enforcement every April, five years since Minnesota passed a hands-free cell phone law, distracted driving is still blamed for roughly 1 in 11 crashes, resulting in an average of 29 deaths and 146 life-changing injuries a year.
Grabow: "What we see is people are reverting back to a lot of the dangerous behaviors that they did engage in prior to the hands-free bill."
Kent Erdahl: "When you look at those (distracted driving) numbers what do you think?"
Steen: "No, the numbers are probably more like 6 in 11. I would say, over half of all crashes, the number one contributing factor is distracted driving."
Sergeant Steen says distracted driving is notoriously hard to prove after a crash, and can include any activity that distracts someone cognitively, physically or visually. But he says there's a reason why the state is so focused on cell phones.
"The problem is, with the phones, it's a combination of all three of those factors," Steen said. "You're cognitively, physically and visually impaired, and it's like driving drunk. They've given statistics that being on your phone and texting is like driving at a .08"
In total, the Office of Traffic Safety is dedicating about $642,325 to cover 80 percent of the cost for those nine new pickups. The departments themselves have to cover the other 20%. The vehicles are expected to begin hitting the road in the next six to eight months.
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