Blog Archive: May 2021
May 27
We've all heard the term “train wreck" used as a metaphor for an awful thing you just can't look away from. But like many such metaphors, it has its roots in truth: Some people are fascinated by disaster. When you hear about a train derailment or other type of emergency, your first thought...
May 24
Here's the thing about the gas pedal in your car: You can control how hard you press down on it. And if you press down on it too hard, it's easy to lose control of the car and harder to stop, resulting in a crash and injury or even death. It's a big problem that started last year when traffic volumes were down, and these facts are playing out with distressing efficiency again...
May 20
“His legacy is one troopers aspire to have. He worked hard, made a difference, and people looked up to him." That's what Col. Matt Langer has to say about Maj. Matt Sokol's career with the Minnesota State Patrol – a career that will come to a close in June, when he retires. Langer counts himself among those troopers who look up to Sokol...
May 17
Fire can be fascinating. Fire can be powerful. But fire can also be deadly. That's why we need to respect it – and educate children to do the same. It moves quickly and it's unpredictable, and even if they have no malicious intent, kids tend to overestimate their ability to control it. For example, State Fire Marshal Division (SFMD) youth firesetting intervention...
May 13
When you have a big problem, focusing resources to solve it a bit at a time can make sense. Drunk driving – and its resulting crashes, injuries and deaths – is a problem all over the state of Minnesota. And although law enforcement in each of our 87 counties are working hard to eliminate it...
May 10
“If you just pay a little attention, you see people talking or texting on their phones, brushing their hair, eating, all kinds of things while they're driving." Who do you suppose said this? A law enforcement officer? Perhaps some sort of traffic safety professional? No, neither of those...
May 6
Our noses are amazing things. They make our food taste better. They bring back pleasant memories when we smell something familiar. They can even save our lives by, for example, smelling smoke when there are no other signs of a fire. But even the best sense of smell can't take the place...
May 3
Crime has a different effect on every victim – there are no common reactions to crime and no one solution will work for all victims. But the fact is crime can change the physical, social, spiritual and financial areas of people's lives forever. Add a pandemic, and navigating an already challenging criminal justice system and accessing vital crime victim...
