​​​Blog Archive: October 2023

​​ ​​​​Keep the frights fun and treats sweet this Halloween

Oct. 30

Halloween may be a night for horrors, but nothing frightens the staff of our Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and State Fire Marshal (SFM) division like the hazards that come along with it. Let's keep it safe for our littlest Minnesotans as they enjoy their night of monsters, fairy tales and ghouls. Last Halloween saw the total number of driving while impaired...

​​​AGE’s currency detection dog receives national certification

Oct. 26

Over the past year, K-9 Bia and her handler Special Agent Brad Rezny have located currency in shopping bags underneath basement steps, tucked behind a wall-mounted TV and hidden under all kinds of furniture. Bia — a 2-year-old German shorthaired pointer...

​ ​​​​Report offers roadmap to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office

Oct. 23

The staff in our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office have seen first-hand how devastating it can be when a loved one...

​Six new narcotic detection K-9s joi​n Minnesota State Patrol

Oct. 19

Courageous, confident and levelheaded: Those are exactly the traits we look for in Minnesota State Patrol troopers. That principle holds true when we add K-9s to its roster. The last few weeks have been busy as the State Patrol has been training six new detection dogs...

​​DVS language project’s ​service to Minnesotans receives national recognition

Oct. 16

As Minnesotans, we know our state is a great place to live, work and play. It should come as no surprise that people come from a variety of backgrounds to settle here and work together to make Minnesota successful. However, non-English speakers face...

​​​​​​New OJP program will bring stable housing to domestic violence survivors​

Oct. 13

At least 24 Minnesotans lost their lives to domestic violence in Minnesota in 2022. A recently released report by Violence Free Minnesota shows that 20 women died from intimate partner violence last year. The victims also include one man and at least three bystanders or people who tried to intervene. Twenty of these people had a documented history of being victimized by domestic violence. This National Domestic Violence Awareness Month — observed in October — the Department of Public Safety is raising awareness about the devastating impact of domestic...

​Think twice before you fire up the stove this Fire Prevention Week

Oct. 9

Picture this: You're frying up bacon for breakfast — something you've done a million times before. You hear your phone ring in the other room, so you rush to grab it. While you're gone, bacon grease and a nearby towel combine to start a fire on your stove. Do you know what to do?

​OTS: Buckling up habit protects Edina man in rollover crash

Oct. 5

It's been decades since Greg Johnson of Edina, Minn., was deliberate about putting on his seat belt, rather than buckling up on instincts his mother ingrained in him back in the 1970s. He had been in college back then, and his mom reminded him each time he left...

​​​DVS: Community resources available as DLFA takes effect​

Oct. 3

While Regina Olono Vidales' fellow students worried about grades or dating, she was concerned about whether she could drive to school, go to a doctor's appointment or visit her family. “I was constantly living in a state of fear and anxiety," Olono Vidales said...

​​​​​​ECN: National alert test gives us all peace of mind​

Oct. 2​​

Picture this: It's raining cats and dogs outside. Meteorologists spot a tornado and issue a warning. But it doesn't get to you. You learn the storm has turned deadly as it whips through a neighborhood near your home. Our Emergency Communication Networks (ECN) is dedicated to making sure that never happens. That's why we are coordinating...​

​​​​​ More: Septembe​r Blog ​Archive​​​