Bill proposes funding violent crime enforcement teams across state

Serving on city and county boards before being elected to the House, Rep. Wayne Johnson (R-Cottage Grove) saw firsthand how critical multi-agency task forces are in combating gang and drug crimes.

So he made a pledge to himself that when he came to the Legislature, he would be a strong advocate for these groups.

“I never want to hear that our team on the ground and our law enforcement out there don’t have the tools that are necessary to do the job correctly,” he said.

He sponsors HF2259, which would make a $3.5 million appropriation in fiscal year 2026 to the Department of Public Safety to fund violent crime enforcement teams.

The House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee laid the bill over Wednesday for possible omnibus bill inclusion.

Violent Crime Enforcement Teams investigate and prosecute narcotics, gangs and associated violent crimes. According to the Office of Justice Programs, there are currently 21 funded task forces and their jurisdictions can cross county lines. The task forces are staffed by over 200 investigators from more than 120 agencies.

[MORE: View the 21 VCETs and their current funding levels]

Maj. Rick Palaia of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office spoke of the “critical need” for additional funding to support the teams, especially their work combating the fentanyl epidemic.

“This work is having an impact. For the first time in the last decade we have seen a significant decrease in overdose deaths over the past year,” he said.

Rep. Bidal Duran (R-Bemidji) spent two years assigned to a team in the Bemidji area before becoming a lawmaker. He voiced his strong support for the funding ask.

“They are crucial to our communities,” he said.

Several law enforcement groups submitted letters supporting the proposal, including the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, Pine to Prairie Drug Task Force and Meeker County Sheriff’s Office.

Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze wrote, “VCETs are extremely important, especially in outstate MN, where individual Sheriff’s Offices are unable to stand up their own drug investigative units. By working together, these VCETs are force multipliers and can be counted on not only for drug crimes but also as ‘first responders’ to major events and violent crimes in each of the partner counties.”