Governor Dayton presents the proclamation to the Minnesota State Patrol

Governor Dayton proclaimed today to be "/governor/assets/mn_state_patrol_day_2014_tcm1055-100770.pdfMinnesota State Patrol Day" in conjunction with State Patrol Day at the State Fair. The proclamation recognizes Minnesota's state troopers for their commitment to public safety. Every day, state troopers work to keep our highways safe, while also assisting other law enforcement agencies, carrying out search and rescue missions, and leading Minnesota's homeland security efforts.

During the State Patrol Day activities at the State Fair, the Governor thanked troopers for their service. Governor Dayton and other fairgoers also had the opportunity to see a demonstration of the Patrol's K9 unit. Currently, the State Patrol has 14 dogs trained to detect narcotics and 1 dog trained to detect explosives. These K9 units are stationed around the state and help local law enforcement with everything from traffic stops to drug searches.

To ensure Minnesota continues to have an effective State Patrol in the future, in 2014, we invested in a new State Trooper Academy. The academy will train 48 new troopers to fill vacant positions across Minnesota. These troopers will help improve traffic safety and fill critical vacancies.