ST PAUL, Minn. — Editor's Note: The video above originally aired on Feb. 3, 2021.
The Minnesota State Patrol is increasing the number of officers policing freeways around Minneapolis as part of a 10-night period of heightened enforcement.
The Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) patrols will be concentrated on I-94 between downtown Minneapolis and I-694 between the hours of 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. starting Feb. 14.
"These HEAT patrols will increase our presence on the freeways so we can stop speeders and catch criminals who attempt to escape," said Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol. "If you don’t pull over we’re going to find you with our aviation assets.”
Public safety officials say the "targeted operation" is meant to address criminal activity and speeding in areas "with public safety concerns. The agency also plans to use additional aviation support if necessary to stop drivers that attempt to flee from traffic stops.
According to MSP, during the first night of HEAT patrols troopers stopped 37 vehicles for speeding, made seven DWI arrests and responded to two crashes. One person was arrested on an outstanding warrant, and a state patrol helicopter located a stolen car. MSP said the person believed to have stolen the vehicle was apprehended after ditching it in the east metro.
The decision to enact HEAT patrols comes on the heels of a meeting between the Minneapolis Police Chiefs and Sheriffs associations, where officers looked at ways to support local agencies as they address a recent surge in crime.
Not everyone is on board with the targeted enforcement. Groups like Communities Uniting Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) note that stretch of I-94 runs from Minneapolis to Brooklyn Center, an area largely made up of communities of color.
"There is no evidence that people are more prone to speeding or committing crimes on the targeted stretch of highway than on any other. Instead, this appears to be the kind of discriminatory targeting of people of color that led to the death of Daunte Wright," CUAPB alleges in a release sent to media outlets. "It is not lost on us that Brooklyn Center is one of the targeted communities."
In January, DFL lawmakers introduced their plan to tackle the issue of violent crime and unveiled a package of public safety legislation that features $100 million in grants to communities and nonprofits.
Included in the proposal is $40 million in community safety grants, $22 million in community policing grants, $22 million earmarked for crime investigation grants, $10 million to help curb the opioids epidemic, $450,000 to help the Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Board hire more compliance investigators and funding for body-worn camera grants.
On the other side of the aisle, Minnesota Republicans have drafted the C.O.P.S. program, or Creating Opportunities in Public Safety. A series of six bills with $65 million worth of funding, the proposal is meant to help bolster police recruitment and retention.
In the GOP plan, there's $20 million for a Workforce Scholarship Program, $20 million in grant money for students, $20 million in bonuses for officers, $2.5 for million tuition reimbursement, $1.5 million for a Pathways Program and a $1 million advertising campaign.
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