​​​What We Do

State Patrol provides for safe and efficient movement of traffic on Minnesota’s roads and highways; assists motorists at crashes; partners with allied city and county agencies; and inspects school buses and commercial vehicles. Capitol Security/Executive Protection provides security for all persons and property in the Capitol complex and state buildings in the Twin Cities.
 

Chief of the State Patrol

Colonel Matt Langer 

Colonel Matt Langer has been a Minnesota State Trooper since 1999. He began his career in the St. Paul station where he worked the afternoon shift. He spent more than four years on the Metro Crash Reconstruction Team where he reconstructed hundreds of fatal and serious injury crashes. He was the director of the State Patrol’s fleet and asset management section before assuming public information duties. As a Captain, he directed public information work, homeland security efforts, and traffic safety grants.

He served for two and a half years as the Assistant Chief and one year as the Acting Chief before being appointed Colonel, Chief of the State Patrol, in January 2015.​

Colonel Langer has a master’s degree in public and nonprofit administration, as well as a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and law enforcement. In addition to his work at the State Patrol, he holds adjunct faculty positions at Century College and Metropolitan State University.
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Staff

The Minnesota State Legislature created the Minnesota Highway Patrol in 1929, in response to the boom of automobiles. The first chief of the Highway Patrol was Earle Brown, who was among the initial force of nine men. 

State Patrol Mission, Vision and Core Values