State Patrol beefs up patrols for busy weekend

The Minnesota State Patrol is beefing up its patrols in the Twins Cities metro area ahead of what is expected to be a busy weekend.

With Minnesota Vikings, Timberwolves and Gophers games, as well as Halloween activities, all scheduled for this weekend, law enforcement officials are expecting large crowds and busy roadways.

With that in mind, the State Patrol said Friday that it has assigned extra troopers to the area for this weekend in an effort to combat dangerous driving and aid in other calls. Those troopers will also work with aviation teams as needed and, on Monday, extra high-visibility patrols are being added for Minneapolis as many people enjoy Halloween.

“Our state troopers will be working alongside our communities and law enforcement partners throughout the state to ensure Halloween is scary for all the right reasons and that people travel responsibly so they get home safely,” Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, said in a statement.

Langer also encouraged Minnesotans planning to celebrate the holiday to plan a safe and sober ride, pay attention and avoid distracted driving.

The effort this weekend follows up on the agency’s efforts to have an increased presence in the metro. Earlier this year, the State Patrol added 20 extra troopers and aviation resources to areas as part of Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) patrols. The department says the HEAT program has resulted in hundreds of traffic stops, dozens of intoxicated driving arrests and more than 100 citations for driving without a valid license this year.