About BCA
Welcome to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) website! The BCA provides investigative and specialized law enforcement services to prevent and solve crimes in partnership with other criminal justice agencies.
Our services fall into four general categories.
- Forensic laboratory analysis
- Criminal histories
- Investigations
- Professional services including criminal justice training and development
Our Mission
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension prevents, investigates and solves crimes in collaboration with our criminal justice partners.
Our Vision
Delivering exceptional law enforcement services for a safer Minnesota.
Our Strategic Plan
Read the BCA's Strategic Plan to learn about the steps we will take in the coming years as we work to achieve that vision.
Who we are
Superintendent
Drew Evans was named the Superintendent of the BCA in 2015. Prior to this role, Evans worked for the BCA Investigations Division: Homicide Unit as a special agent and senior special agent where he conducted and oversaw violent crime investigations throughout Minnesota. He most recently served as the BCA Assistant Superintendent from 2012 to his appointment as superintendent. Evans also served as a police officer for the city of White Bear Lake where he held a variety of roles, last as a detective, prior to joining the BCA. He is as an adjunct professor at both St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and Metropolitan State University in their criminal justice and law enforcement programs.
Evans is a graduate of Metropolitan State University and received his Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law. He is both a licensed peace officer and attorney in the state of Minnesota. He is an alumnus of the 257th Session of the FBI National Academy, has completed the IACP Leadership in Police Organizations program, and is a graduate of the BCA Management Series.
Evans serves numerous boards and committees to include the Minnesota POST Board, the Minnesota Violent Crime Coordinating Council, the U.S. Attorney's Project Safe Neighborhoods Steering Committee, Council on Crime and Justice Crime Trends Working Group, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) – Firearms Committee, serves president of Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies (ASCIA), and the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) where he previously served as both the vice chair and chair of the North Central HIDTA. In 2023, Evans was appointed as the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor for the state of Minnesota.
Staff
The BCA employs more than 750 agents, analysts, scientists, trainers and support staff at its headquarters and lab in St. Paul, its Bemidji regional office and lab, and 13 field offices.
Partnerships
The BCA partners with state and local criminal justice agencies on investigations, Amber Alerts, Crime Alerts and criminal justice data integration. Efforts to improve public safety are also furthered through relationships with federal partners like the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
History
The Minnesota Legislature created the BCA in 1927 to assist peace officers statewide in solving crimes and apprehending criminals. The Division of Statistics, a forerunner of the Minnesota Justice Information Services (MNJIS), was added in 1935, as were additional personnel and full police power for the bureau's agents.
The BCA lab became operational in 1947, and the BCA became part of the newly-created Department of Public Safety in 1969. Dozens of state statutes, state rules, and federal laws govern BCA operations in a variety of areas including criminal histories, lab operations, investigations and more.
The BCA established one of the first DNA laboratories in the nation in 1990, and shortly afterward became the first in the nation to identify a suspect based solely on DNA. Read more about the BCA's history.