The Minnesota State Patrol is the primary state patrol agency for Minnesota and serves as the de facto state police for the state. While Minnesota State Patrol troopers have full powers of arrest throughout the state, their primary function is traffic safety and vehicle law enforcement. The State Patrol is a division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety .
24-695: The Minnesota Highway Patrol was created in 1929 when Charles M. Babcock, the Commissioner of Highways, appointed Earle Brown, Sheriff of Hennepin County , as Chief of the Highway Patrol. On July 1, 1929, Chief Brown appointed 8 officers. In 1973 the Highway Patrol was reorganized and the official name was changed to the Minnesota State Patrol . The first training school was held January 18 to April 1, 1930. This school graduated
48-653: A Facebook post said, "Indian Nations have a special interest in this issue and that interest must be protected! There's plenty for the Sheriff to do here in Hennepin County," said McLaughlin. "It is not a priority use of the Sheriff's office resources, which the Sheriff controls by virtue of his election. An online petition by Honor the Earth called on the Sheriff's department to desist in its participation. We are residents of Hennepin County, MN and we are alarmed at
72-561: A Special Response Team (SRT), that operates like a traditional SWAT Team . Troopers are issued the Glock 17 Gen 5 9mm sidearm. The State Patrol is headquartered in St. Paul . There are 11 Patrol Districts throughout the state, with 61 Patrol Stations. The current State Patrol Chief is Colonel Matthew Langer. Each district office is led by a Captain and is staffed with troopers and investigators, along with communication and support staff to assist in
96-488: A number of smaller police agencies in northwestern Hennepin County as well as specialized patrol service and assistance to all Hennepin County law enforcement agencies. In addition, the Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement service provider to the following: Patrick D. McGowan (R) was elected sheriff in 1995. The HCSO was a major component of the Metro Gang Strike Force, which was created by
120-537: A steering committee was formed, which brought ASCLD into being in 1974. The first meeting was held in Quantico . In the 1980s, ASCLD created subcommittee to develop standards for crime laboratories. This subcommittee was spun off as a separate organization, The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board, or ASCLD/LAB. ASCLD/LAB merged with ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) in 2016. This law enforcement –related article
144-610: A video on the I-35W Mississippi River bridge ; this incurred criticism from the mayor of Minneapolis R.T. Rybak and Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan , who claimed the video contained false information and stole credit from the city government. The company that produced the video was also used by Stanek for his 2006 campaign. In October 2016, the HCSO provided support from its special operations division in response to North Dakota officials' mutual aid requests, for
168-459: Is a nonprofit society for forensic science . Membership is multinational, and is open to crime lab directors, managers or supervisors. ASCLD holds an annual members' conference, in which management training is given and networking is encouraged. The origins of ASCLD lie in a meeting of crime laboratory directors organised in 1973 by Clarence Kelly and Briggs White , of the FBI . At this meeting,
192-684: Is given annually by IACP to one domestic U.S., and one international law enforcement agency. HCSO was granted the ASIS International Public-Private Partnership Award in recognition of its Shield program, which builds relationships between law enforcement and local businesses and security providers. The award was presented at the annual ASIS conference in Chicago. American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors ( ASCLD , pronounced 'azz-clad' )
216-1107: The Dakota Access Pipeline protests , causing an outcry from Hennepin County citizens and leaders. HCSO deputies were deployed to Morton County, North Dakota, along with deputies from neighboring Anoka and Washington Counties , from October 23–31, 2016 as part of an Emergency Management Assistance Compact agreement between the state governments of Minnesota and North Dakota. Hundreds of citizens protested daily at Hennepin County Government Center and Minneapolis City Hall Among political leaders opposed to Sheriff Stanek's decision were Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith , U.S. Representative Keith Ellison , state Representative Peggy Flanagan , state Representative Karen Clark, state Senator Patricia Torres Ray , Minneapolis City Council members Alondra Cano and Cameron Gordon , Civil rights organizer Clyde Bellecourt and Hennepin County commissioners Marion Greene , Linda Higgins , and Peter McLaughlin who, in
240-655: The District Court , handles home foreclosures, participates in homeland security activities and in law enforcement, and by state law is responsible for handling applications for permits to carry a firearm for residents of Hennepin County. The HCSO Crime Lab Unit is one of six crime labs in Minnesota accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board. The HCSO Patrol Unit provides supplemental patrol coverage to
264-546: The Governor's Cabinet . In 1997, Anne L. Beers was appointed Chief of the State Patrol, as the first woman to hold the rank of Commander of a State Police Agency in U.S. The following is a list of those that have held the title of State Patrol Chief: Note: Each state patrol district station has 1 sergeant who oversees all station operations. The official field supervisors throughout the district are lieutenants. Since
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#1732782389195288-401: The HCSO was responsible for taking custody of Derek Chauvin and the three Minneapolis Police officers who failed to intervene during the murder of George Floyd . In December 2021, Sheriff Hutchinson pled guilty to a misdemeanor DWI charge after crashing his vehicle near Alexandria, Minnesota . He was sentenced to two years of probation. Although the crash report showed that Hutchinson
312-593: The State Patrol concentrates primarily on traffic enforcement and highway safety it also has a statewide law enforcement role. Troopers are also involved with crash reconstruction and commercial vehicle enforcement. The State Patrol capitol security division also handles the security for the Minnesota State Capitol complex and the Governor . Additionally, the State Patrol maintains a K-9 unit that focuses on drug enforcement interdiction, as well as
336-629: The deployment of Hennepin County Sheriff's Department forces to North Dakota to take part in the hyper-militarized and violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline. In our judgment, the demonstrations by water protectors on and near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation have been overwhelmingly peaceful, prayerful, dignified, and reverent. They have been exercises of
360-583: The deployment was a routine mutual aid response, and that "It sounds like they conducted themselves very professionally." Financially, North Dakota eventually reimbursed Hennepin County for the salaries of the officers sent there, but not for the overtime hours needed by the officers who remained behind on duty in Hennepin County. The HCSO was among the agencies that responded to the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul in 2020. Later,
384-698: The establishment of the Minnesota State Patrol, eight troopers have died while on duty. Hennepin County Sheriff%27s Office The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is the sheriff's office for Hennepin County in the U.S. state of Minnesota . HCSO's main offices are in Minneapolis City Hall in the county seat of Minneapolis . The office manages the county jail, patrols waterways, provides security for
408-480: The first 35 members of the Minnesota Highway Patrol. The patch worn by members of the Minnesota State Patrol evolved from "The Great Seal" which is placed on all official state documents. According to Bellingcat the Minnesota State Patrol was among the police departments which deliberately targeted journalists during the George Floyd protests . In late May 2020, the Minnesota State Patrol
432-514: The inherent human rights and constitutionally protected rights to freedom of speech and assembly. (...) Hennepin County has absolutely no place and no right to support such activity with our tax dollars. We hereby call on all Hennepin County Commissioners and Sheriff Richard Stanek to immediately withdraw all Hennepin County forces from North Dakota. In response, Sheriff Stanek issued a statement explaining that his office responded to
456-689: The patrol's missions. The Headquarters and State Patrol Command Staff are within District 2000, along with the Flight Section, Investigative Services Section, and Training & Development. Since 1929, the State Patrol has been commanded by the State Patrol Chief , who has the rank of Colonel. The Colonel reports directly to the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety , who is appointed by the governor and serves in
480-547: The request from North Dakota to maintain "the public's safety, preserve the peace, and protect the constitutional rights of protesters" and that the deployment was a routine mutual aid agreement between law enforcement agencies. Minnesota deputies were released from their duties in Morton County on October 31 after the state fulfilled its part of the EMAC agreement. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton stated in an interview that
504-638: The state legislature in 2005 after the Minnesota Gang Strike Force was dissolved. It was shut down in 2009 due to rampant corruption and abuse. In 2010, a $ 3 million settlement was reached between the agencies that made up the Strike Force and 96 individuals who claimed to be victims of misconduct by the Strike Force. Richard W. Stanek (R) was elected sheriff in 2007. Later in 2007, Sheriff Stanek used $ 30,000 of civil forfeiture funds that were earmarked for training to produce
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#1732782389195528-400: Was driving 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) at the time, he was not charged for extreme speed. Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan called for his resignation, Hutchinson announced he would not seek reelection. In November 2022, Dawanna Witt was elected as the 29th Sheriff of Hennepin County, making her the first woman and person of color to hold the position. HCSO
552-509: Was involved in policing the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis–Saint Paul . The State Patrol slashed tires of at least several dozen unoccupied vehicles parked near protests, admitting their involvement around a week later. Several journalists' cars, including from the Star Tribune , had their tires slashed. The Patrol said that the tactic was not a usual one, but they implemented it to prevent vehicles from being used as weapons. While
576-780: Was named one of 15 nationwide demonstration sites for "policing in the 21st Century" by the COPS Office of the federal Department of Justice . HCSO, along with the Minneapolis and Saint Paul Police Departments , was presented the 2016 Outstanding Achievement in the Prevention of Terrorism Award by the International Association of Chiefs of Police at the IACP national conference in San Diego . The award
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