Street racing patrols stop hundreds of drivers over the weekend

The Minnesota State Patrol stopped hundreds of drivers and arrested scores over the weekend after warning it would clamp down on illegal street racing and violent crime in Minneapolis.

After a night of lawlessness on July 4 that included motorists shooting fireworks at other vehicles, high-rise condos, pedestrians and even first responders in Minneapolis' Mill District, Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner John Harrington said the agency, which includes the State Patrol, would put extra troopers on Minneapolis streets Friday and Saturday nights.

"Our goal was to swell resources to combat street racing and other illegal activity over the weekend. The results generated speak for themselves," said Col. Matt Langer of the Minnesota State Patrol. "Troopers from across Minnesota assisted and are thankful for the local law enforcement support they received while working."

On Friday night, troopers stopped 279 drivers for traffic infractions and issued 52 citations to motorists who did not hold a valid driver's license. Troopers also made 17 arrests, including 11 drivers who were impaired.

The next night, troopers conducted 250 traffic stops and cited 52 drivers for driving without a valid license. Troopers made 20 arrests, 11 of which were for driving while impaired.

Authorities also put up barricades to restrict automobile access to S. 2nd Street in downtown Minneapolis.

The State Patrol this spring had already beefed up patrols to combat gun-related crimes, carjackings and street racing — crimes that have been on the rise in Minneapolis since the onset of the pandemic. But the events of July 4, which also included a shooting at Boom Island Park that left seven people injured, prompted DPS to deploy even more resources.

"We have seen dangerous activity escalate in the Twin Cities metro region in the last few weeks," Harrington said ahead of the weekend crackdown. "The Department of Public Safety — including the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and Minnesota State Patrol — are continuing to work in partnership bringing together our state, local and federal agencies to hold offenders accountable and to keep our communities safe."

With 20 additional troopers stationed in Minneapolis and its aviation unit watching from the skies, the State Patrol was busy. Troopers cited a group of motorcyclists racing on a freeway and four other motorists racing on Hennepin Avenue. They also tagged multiple drivers who had illegal fireworks and arrested several who attempted to flee law enforcement. In one case, troopers in a helicopter saw a driver throw a firearm while trying to run from police on foot.

The weekend effort came on top of the "high visibility" effort the patrol is conducting in high-crime areas in Minneapolis three days a week. It also comes as the agency continues its Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) campaign in which it places additional troopers on metro area highways and freeways to crack down on speeding and enforce other traffic laws.

The patrol launched HEAT in February, and since then troopers have made more than 14,000 traffic stops and 203 arrests. Troopers also have tagged 96 motorists for driving while impaired and recovered 88 firearms. The program will continue this coming weekend.

"Like always, we will continue to focus on stopping these dangerous and unacceptable driving behaviors from occurring on Minnesota roads," the State Patrol said.