Elk River Police Department, 8 others get traffic safety vehicle grants

Specialized pickup trucks to help stop dangerous driving behaviors

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is awarding $642,325 in grants to nine law enforcement agencies — including the Elk River Police Department — for new traffic safety vehicles. The grants will allow each agency to buy a specialized pickup truck law enforcement officers can use to conduct traffic enforcement from a higher vantage point. It will allow them a better view to see if drivers are distracted, not wearing their seat belt or engaging in other dangerous driving behaviors.

“We need to get creative in how we’re combating the unacceptable driving behaviors and rising deaths we’re seeing on our roads,” said OTS Director Mike Hanson. “People are dying because drivers are selfishly making terrible choices. These trucks are not going to be the entire answer, but this tool will help our law enforcement partners raise the awareness of these critical traffic safety issues and help change behavior — and we’ll take any help we can get.”

In addition to ERPD, the grant recipients are:

•Police departments in Orono, St. Paul, Blaine, Eagan, Grand Rapids and Brooklyn Park.

•Sheriff’s offices in Olmsted County and Washington County.

“When we respond to a crash, we see far too often how a dangerous choice can take a life or seriously hurt the people involved. By then, it’s too late,” said Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson. “The higher vantage point of the traffic safety vehicle will help us see distractions, unbelted passengers and child restraint issues and intervene before something terrible happens.”

The grantees plan to collaborate with other local enforcement in their areas during high-visibility enforcement campaigns to maximize the vehicle’s use. Recipients will also use the new vehicles to educate the public on safe driving through community events.

OTS received the funding for this project from the 2023 Minnesota transportation omnibus bill. Each agency was required to match 20 percent of the total equipment costs.

By the numbers

Traffic fatalities

Preliminary numbers show traffic fatalities are up more than 61% on Minnesota roads (Jan. 1-April 10) compared to the same time last year.

2024: 84 fatalities

2023: 52 fatalities

Distracted driving

Law enforcement agencies are participating in the statewide distracted driving extra enforcement and awareness campaign through April 30.

Distracted driving contributed to nearly 30,000 crashes in Minnesota from 2019-2023 (preliminary figures). Distracted driving contributed to an average of 29 deaths and 146 life-changing injuries a year in Minnesota from 2019-2023.