About the State Patrol

Learn about the mission, core values, current organization and history of the Minnesota State Patrol.

The State Patrol is Minnesota’s primary traffic enforcement agency. Our mission is to improve traffic safety through education, assistance and enforcement. Our other key responsibilities include:

Providing help at crashes
Investigating and reconstructing serious crashes
Conducting flight patrols and search-and rescue-missions
Inspecting school buses and commercial vehicles
Providing capitol security and executive protection to make sure people and property stay safe in the Capitol complex and state buildings in the Twin Cities

Our agency has more than 800 employees, including more than 600 troopers, capitol security officers, commercial vehicle inspectors, 911 dispatchers and other support staff who work all across the state.

Mission, vision and core values

Learn about the State Patrol's mission, vision and core values that help guide the agency in the work they do.

Organizational chart

The State Patrol organizational chart shows how the agency is structured and who reports to whom. View the agency's organizational chart.

State Patrol history

The State Patrol was created in 1929 and now has more than 600 state troopers.

Minnesota State Patrol leadership: Chief of the State Patrol

The State Patrol chief is responsible for providing the vision and leading the entire agency. They manage the budget, oversee agency public relations and work with other law enforcement agencies. They also make sure troopers are well-trained, follow the law and are prepared for emergencies, all while focusing on keeping both the public and the patrol’s staff safe.

Current chief

The current leader is Colonel Christina Bogojevic, chief of the State Patrol.

Col. Christina Bogojevic has been with the Minnesota State Patrol since 2003.

Prior to being named Colonel in April 2024, she held positions including lieutenant colonel, captain of the Rochester district, mobile response commander, lieutenant in the commercial vehicle section, investigator, recruiter, instructor, academy staff trooper, and crash reconstruction specialist.

Col. Bogojevic currently co-leads the State Patrol 30x30 initiative, which aims to improve the roles and experiences of women in every level of policing. She is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, a professional organization for police leaders.

Col. Bogojevic has an associate degree in law enforcement from Rochester Community and Technical College and a bachelor's degree in political science with a concentration in campaign management from Southern New Hampshire University.

Past chiefs

Learn who previous State Patrols chiefs were.

History

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 complement of nine men. The Highway Patrol had jurisdiction on state and federal highways until 1971 when the Legislature increased it to all roadways within the borders on the state. Two years later, the Highway Patrol changed its name to the State Patrol. The title of officer was changed to trooper and the uniform hat was changed to the widely recognized campaign hat.

Learn more about the history of the State Patrol.