Rep. Brion Curran Passes First Bill on House Floor, Expanding Scope of DOC’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed H.F. 1523. The bill, authored by Representative Brion Curran (DFL – Vadnais Heights), grants authority to the Department of Corrections’ Fugitive Apprehension Unit to assist other law enforcement agencies upon request. The unit is made up of 13 POST-certified peace officers who are all highly trained in fugitive apprehensions and who partner with local, county, state, and federal law enforcement partners daily to do its work. The bill passed on a unanimous vote of 130-0.
“Current law unnecessarily limits the scope of law enforcement officers working on the Fugitive Apprehension Unit,” said Rep. Curran. “This means that those officers cannot assist in developing situations, even if they are stationed just blocks away. This bill fixes the statute, allowing these highly trained officers to support local jurisdictions when needed.”
H.F. 1523 was heard in the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee on February 21, 2023, and a member of the Department of Corrections Fugitive Apprehension Unit testified in support of the bill.
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