Minnesota Department of Public Safety

If you’re one of the thousands of Minnesota homeowners and renters affected by the flooding that hit our state between July 16 and July 4, you may be eligible for some individual disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Learn more in our DPS blog.

Blog - FEMA’s individual assistance could help you recover from flooding If you're one of the thousands of Minnesota homeowners and renters affected by the flooding that hit our state between July 16 and July 4, you may be eligible for some individual disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

People looking down at their phones, eating or messing with the radio while behind the wheel aren’t giving their full attention to the task at hand — driving. Getting distracted behind the wheel for even a couple seconds can end with someone being seriously hurt or killed.

Learn how a grant from Governors Highway Safety Association and Michelin Mobility Intelligence will help us stop distracted driving in our DPS blog.

Blog - New grant allows OTS to do a deep dive into distracted driving data People looking down at their phones, eating or messing with the radio while behind the wheel aren't giving their full attention to the task at hand — driving. Getting distracted behind the wheel for even a couple seconds can end with someone being seriously hurt or killed.

We laughed, had fun and ate snow-cones together.

You showed off your yo-yo skills.

We got to know each other.

We had so much fun meeting our neighbors Tuesday for National Night Out. The annual community-building event is aimed at promoting police and community partnerships, as well as building neighborhood camaraderie. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Think back to when you received your first driver’s license — that feeling of accomplishment, looking forward to driving on your own, the excitement of completing every step to learn how to drive.

You can be part of that joy for thousands of Minnesotans by joining our Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) examiner team. DVS is hiring 30 new examiners across the state after the Minnesota Legislature funded the new positions to help us meet the demand for driver’s licensing exams throughout our state. Learn more about the positions — and how they’ll serve you — in our DPS blog.

Blog - DVS hiring examiners to better serve you Think back to when you received your first driver's license — that feeling of accomplishment, looking forward to driving on your own, the excitement of completing every step to learn how to drive.

National Night Out is Tuesday, Aug. 6 and staff here at the Department of Public Safety are excited to meet you!

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign aimed at promoting police and community partnerships., as well as building neighborhood camaraderie.

Join us for some family fun from 4 to 7 p.m. at Parque Castillo, 149 Cesar Chavez St. It's a great way to get outside and learn more about how we work to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Hitting an underground utility line could cause an outage, property damage or the worst-case scenario — an explosion. Thankfully, that can be avoided by a free call to 811 — the national “Call Before You Dig” number.

Our Office of Pipeline Safety is joining our partners Aug. 10 to spread the word with the 2024 annual 811 5K Walk/Run in Minneapolis. Whether you want to challenge yourself to beat your fastest time or take a leisurely walk around Lake Bde Mka Ska, you can support the event by registering here: https://ow.ly/3ZaO50StMh9

August is an exciting month for the Department of Public Safety (DPS): We’ll be out in the community for National Night Out – promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, as well as at the Minnesota State Fair, talking and connecting with you, the Minnesotans we serve.

Join us Tuesday, Aug. 6, for National Night Out at Castillo Park, 149 Cesar Chavez St., St. Paul or at the fair from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 22 through Labor Day.

Learn more in our DPS blog.

Blog - Join DPS at these August community events

Join us at National Night Out next Tuesday!

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign aimed at promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.

This year, you'll find staff from different teams across the Department of Public Safety in St. Paul from 4 to 7 p.m. at Parque Castillo, 149 Cesar Chavez St.

Bring the family so we can get to know you and you can learn more about us. While there, enjoy crafts, food and other family friendly features.

We look forward to seeing you!

🚨 Heat Advisory and Severe Weather Alert 🚨

📅 Date: Wednesday, July 31 🌡
Temperature: Low 90s
💧 Dew Points: Mid 70s
🥵 Heat Indices: Approaching 100°F

With temperatures climbing into the low 90s and dew points in the mid 70s, we are expecting heat indices to approach 100°F. This creates a very moist and unstable environment, setting the stage for possible severe weather this afternoon.
Precautions you can take:

• Stay hydrated and limit outdoor activities.
• Seek shelter if severe weather approaches.
• Secure outdoor objects that could become projectiles.
• Stay updated with local weather alerts.

Your safety is our priority. Stay cool and stay safe!

Picture this: You get off work after a long day and head to the parking lot for your car. But it’s not there. It’s been stolen by someone intending to sell the pieces to a scrap metal dealer. A new law aims to reduce the number of these thefts by making it harder for thieves to find a buyer. Learn more in our DPS blog.

Blog - New rules for buying scrap metal aim to help curb thefts Picture this: You get off work after a long day and head to the parking lot for your car. But it's not there. It's been stolen by someone intending to sell the pieces to a scrap metal dealer.

An Indigenous woman who lives in Minnesota spent decades looking for her missing brother alone. Now our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives office has featured his case on a billboard seen by thousands of people each day. Learn more in our DPS blog.

https://dps.mn.gov/blog/Pages/20240725-mmir-billboards.aspx

It’s difficult for most of us to truly understand just how much of our daily infrastructure lives underground. Think of it as a complex web of communication lines that connect us and utilities that fuel us. Those services are worth protecting: All it takes is a free call to 811.

Help our Office of Pipeline Safety spread the word by signing up for the 2024 annual 811 5K Walk/Run in Minneapolis. Registration to walk or run on Aug. 10 is $18.11. The kid’s run is free. You can register here: https://ow.ly/BK2l50StM9T

The Minnesota Legislature has updated the Child Passenger Safety Law offering new guidance on child seats, booster seats and seat belts that may change how children ride in your vehicle. Learn about the new law — which goes into effect Aug. 1 — in our DPS blog.

Blog - Child Passenger Safety Law changes aim to protect kids Figuring out the best way to keep kids safe in your vehicle can be complicated. The Minnesota Legislature has updated the Child Passenger Safety Law offering new guidance on child seats, booster seats and seat belts, adding increased safety measures to protect children. The law, which goes into effe...

5:30 P.M. UPDATE: Our public website as well as the network at our Driver and Vehicle Services Offices are back online.

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The nationwide tech outage that happened overnight may lead to delays at our Driver and Vehicle Services offices today. We are working to bring computers and phones back online at DVS offices and have completed that process at many locations. Our DVS Now Kiosks at Cub locations are not impacted.

Our Department of Public Safety website is also affected, which is not disrupting any critical services at this time.

Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve these issues.

Members of the Rice County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) stepped up during recent flooding, filling sandbags, mucking out houses and even removing damaged furniture and carpeting. All-volunteer CERT teams make a huge difference in their community during an emergency. Learn more in our DPS blog.

Blog - CERT volunteers step up in Faribault during flooding

REAL ID is coming. Are you ready? You've got until May 7, 2025, to get a REAL ID-complaint license. When the deadline hits, Minnesotans and the rest of U.S. travelers won't be able to use their standard driver's license to fly within the U.S. or visit some federal buildings.

Learn more in our DPS blog.

Blog - REAL ID is REALly happening: Get ready now

When an emergency hits, it is immediately all hands on deck for local public safety officials. But sometimes, like during the flooding in Jackson County or the aftermath of the Iowa tornado, they need some extra hands. That’s where the All-Hazards Incident Management Team and our Homeland Security and Emergency Management division come in.

Blog - Incident management team is ‘here to help’ ​When an emergency hits, it is immediately all hands on deck for local public safety officials. But sometimes, like during the flooding in Jackson County or the aftermath of devastating Iowa tornadoes, they need some extra hands. That's where the All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) comes ...

If you enjoy a good outdoor run or leisurely walk through the neighborhood, you’ve no doubt seen paint and flags marking up lawns. Those flags and paint mark potentially dangerous underground utilities and are the result of a free call to 811 – the national “Call Before You Dig” number.

Help spread the word by signing up for the 2024 annual 811 5K Walk/Run. The 5K begins at 8:11 a.m. on Aug. 10 in Minneapolis. You can register here: https://ow.ly/79N550StLYG

It is devastating when a loved one is missing. Often, the pain of not knowing what happened can be among the worst parts. That’s why our Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) laboratory continues to explore and advance the use of scientific methods to help solve missing and unidentified persons cases.

Learn how the BCA is identifying the remains of missing people and giving them back their names in our DPS blog:

Blog - Unidentified Remains Project gives people back their names, families It is devastating when a loved one is missing. Often, the pain of not knowing what happened can be among the worst parts. That's why our Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) laboratory continues to explore and advance the use of scientific methods to help solve missing and unidentified persons case...

Fireworks can be a delightful way to celebrate the Fourth of July, but they’re also dangerous. It’s impossible to know how many people were injured and did not seek medical attention, but we know from reports at least 22 people were treated for injuries in 2023.

Learn how to use fireworks safely — and legally — in our DPS blog.

Blog - See sparks fly safely this Independence Day Seeing sparks fly as fireworks go off can be a magical part of any Fourth of July celebration. But that joyful magic can turn into a trip to the emergency room or serious property damage if you aren't careful.

The Hope Without Boundaries 5K earlier this month was more than just a 3-mile jog for Kaleena Burkes, director of our new Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls (MMBWG) Office.

The event bridged together leaders working to end violence against Black women and girls, offering Burkes opportunities for conversation and networking to establish essential partnerships. Those connections are critically important as she launches the MMBWG Office, the first of its kind in the nation.

It was also an opportunity to spend time with former Rep. Ruth Richardson, who authored legislation that created the MMBWG Office, and other local leaders who support its work. Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson (pictured) founded the Black and Missing Foundation in 2008. For the past 16 years they have used their law enforcement and public relations expertise to bring awareness to and find those missing from Black communities, a voice for an often-ignored group.

Summer is here!

With summer comes more people on Minnesota’s roads, which means it’s more important than ever to make safe driving choices. While our Office of Traffic Safety will complete their report for the 2023 data stats, currently the numbers show the 100-day stretch accounted for 165 of the 411 traffic fatalities last year. Learn more about how you can help us solve the traffic fatality problem in our DPS blog.

Blog - Traveling this summer? Don’t forget your safe driving choices Despite all the rain, summer has officially arrived in Minnesota. As you head to parks, lakes, pools, festivals and all kinds of outdoor fun, don’t forget to “pack” your safe driving choices.

Ignoring road closures and driving through floodwater is dangerous. All it takes is 12 inches of water to carry away a vehicle. Turn around, down drown.

Severe thunderstorms capable of producing hail and tornadoes may make their way through parts of Minnesota this evening.

• Remind your family of your emergency plan
• Know how to evacuate and/or get to a safe location
• Do not drive through flooded areas
• Be cautious at night when water depths are deceiving
• Know the difference between advisories, watches and warnings

As always: Turn around, don’t drown!

Please follow the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office on Facebook for the official information about the Rapidan Dam.

Emergency Management and law enforcement officials have not issued any evacuation orders.

Anyone that is in immediate danger in regards to the Rapidan Dam have been notified. The Dam is currently intact and there is not an evacuation order in place for Blue Earth County residents. The situation is being monitored closely by BEC Public Works, Emeergency Managment, and the Sheriff’s Office.

Minnesota has more than 11,000 federally licensed amateur radio operators serving their communities across the state. They have a long history of pitching in to help their neighbors, whether it’s an emergency or a community event. Learn more about ham radio operators in our latest DPS blog.

Blog - Amateur radio operators serve vital role in their communities There are 11,000 federally licensed hams in Minnesota. The amateur radio operators have chipped in to help during emergencies, volunteered during events and assisted with disaster recovery since the first club was started. Hams have 100 radio repeaters on building rooftops, tower and water tanks. Th...

Staff in our Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) division are working hard with our state partners to help communities across Minnesota respond to and recover from historic flooding.

Ignoring road closures and driving through floodwater is dangerous. All it takes is 12 inches of water to carry away a vehicle. Turn around, down drown.