The Department of Public Safety was established in 1969, per Minnesota Statute 299A. Listed below are the Public Safety commissioners starting with present commissioner, Bob Jacobson, to the first commissioner, Wallace Hoglund, who began as commissioner in January 1970.
Public Safety Commissioners from Present to Past
Bob Jacobson, January 2023 to Present
John Harrington, January 2019 to January 2023
Mona Dohman, March 2011 to January 2019
Michael Campion, April 2004 to February 2011
Rich Stanek, January 2003 to April 2004
Charlie Weaver, January 1999 to November 2002
Don Davis, April 1996 to December 1998
Michael Jordan, December 1992 to April 1996
Thomas Frost, October 1991 to December 1992
Ralph Church, January 1991 to October 1991
Paul Tschida, January 1983 to January 1991
Kenneth Dirkzwager, September 1982 to December 1982
John Sopsic, May 1979 to September 1982
Edward Novak, June 1974 to May 1979
Wallace Hoaglund, January 1970 to December 1973
Timeline
| 1905 |
The position of State Fire Marshal is created |
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| 1913 |
Fire Marshal Department is created |
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| 1927 |
The BCA is created |
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| 1929 |
Minnesota Highway Patrol is created. The first force consists of nine men |
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| 1934 |
Patrol is authorized to enforce speed limits on trunk highways |
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| 1947 |
BCA lab becomes operational |
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| 1951 |
Minnesota creates its Department of Civil Defense |
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| 1957 |
Highway Patrol purchases two fixed-wing aircraft |
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| 1966 |
The Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is created under the Federal Highway Act |
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| 1969 |
The Department of Public Safety is created |
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| 1972 |
The Driver’s License Division of the Highway Department joins DPS |
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| 1974 |
Highway Patrol is reorganized; official name changed to “Minnesota State Patrol.” |
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| 1987 |
The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (MNOPS) is created |
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| 1990 |
BCA establishes one of the first DNA laboratories in the nation |
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| 1994 |
First drug detection dog begins work for the State Patrol |
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| 1996 |
The Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGED) is created |
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| 2003 |
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is created |
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| 2004 |
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) is created |
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| 2004 |
OTS and the Minnesota Departments of Transportation and Health establish the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) Program |
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