Purpose
The 2010 Minnesota Legislature established the Violent Crimes Coordinating Council to provide guidance related to the investigation and prosecution of gang and drug crime. The council provides direction and oversight to the multijurisdictional task forces and enforcement teams located throughout the state. This new council replaced the Gang and Drug Oversight Council that had been in existence since 2005.
The council’s primary duty is to “develop an overall strategy to ameliorate the harm caused to the public by gang and drug crime within the state of Minnesota." In addition, the council works closely with the commissioner of Public Safety and is charged with additional responsibilities to include:
- Development of an operating procedures and policies manual to guide gang and drug investigation;
- Identification and recommendation of an
individual to serve as the statewide gang and drug coordinator;
- Development of grant eligibility criteria and application review process;
- Recommendation for multijurisdictional task force funding termination for those not operating in a manner consistent with the best interest of the state or the public;
- Development of processes to collect and share investigative data;
- Development of policies to prohibit the improper use of personal characteristics to target individuals for law enforcement, prosecution or forfeiture actions; and
- Adoption of objective criteria and identifying characteristics for use in determining whether individuals are or may be members of gangs involved in criminal activity.
Resources
Policy Statements
Gang Criteria
State and National Data
U.S. Department of Justice, National Drug Intelligence Center: 
National Drug Threat Assessment 2010
Publications
Membership
The Council is composed of 19 voting members, including four citizen members and 15 members representing federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecution agencies.
Violent Crime Coordinating Council - 2011 Membership List: 
vccc_members.pdf