Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office Rolls Out New Law Enforcement Vehicle for Southeast Minnesota

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A new specialized law enforcement vehicle has hit the road in southeast Minnesota. 

Read More: New Safety Tool Coming to Southeast Minnesota's Roads 

The receiving of the vehicle comes as Minnesota has seen an increase in traffic deaths on the state’s roads. 

There have been 216 fatalities through July 11 in 2024, which is up from 176 during the same time span last year, according to the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office. 

Earlier this year, the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety announced a total $642,325 in grants to help nine selected law enforcement agencies purchase what a news release describes as specialized pick-up that gives law officers a higher vantage point that allows them to see inside of other vehicles on the road. 

This week, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, which was one of the nine agencies to receive the new truck, officially rolled out the vehicle. 

“We are hopeful with this vehicle and the education and enforcement efforts that we will be able to make our roads here in Olmsted County safer. In the past we would have to do the best we could from low profile vehicles where it was more difficult to clearly identify people not practicing safe behaviors on our roads,” said Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson. “We expect to work with other agencies within Olmsted County and throughout the region conducting high-visibility efforts to maximize the vehicle’s use.” 

Although the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office is the recipient of the truck, it won’t exclusively be seen on the county’s roads. Torgerson and leaders of the other grant recipients plan to share the pick-up with neighboring law enforcement agencies. 

Toregerson says the vehicle will also be showcased to the public at various community events.

See Also: Olmsted County Meets Damage Threshold For Federal Disaster Aid