State Patrol to step up presence in Minneapolis in response to recent violent crime
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced on Thursday that the Minnesota State Patrol is significantly increasing its presence around the Twin Cities in the coming weeks.
This comes in response to a recent increase in criminal activity and street racing over the weekend, DPS said. The holiday weekend was filled with chaos as people shot fireworks at buildings and people downtown and seven people were injured in a shooting at Boom Island Park.
On Friday and Saturday, the state patrol will assign 20 additional troopers and aviation resources to designated areas of the Twin Cities, primarily Minneapolis. There will be more 911 dispatchers as part of the effort.
The state patrol announced it will conduct high visibility patrol in high-crime areas in Minneapolis to assist the Minneapolis Police Department. Four troopers will be assigned to two squad cars to conduct these patrols three days a week.
The city will reimburse the state patrol for all expenses related to the high visibility patrols.
The state troopers will not respond to 911 calls but will coordinate with MPD officers, the DPS said.
The state patrol will continue its Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic focus across the state which has resulted in 203 arrests so far. There will be extra troopers monitoring traffic in the metro next weekend.
Additionally, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension says it has assigned 12 state investigators and one criminal analyst to conduct homicide and gun crime investigations in the Twin Cities.
The DPS says the effort will likely last through the summer.