South Dakota, Minnesota Troopers Cooperate in I-90 Safety Operation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 21, 2012
CONTACT: Terry Woster, Public Information Officer, 605.773.3178
South Dakota, Minnesota Troopers Cooperate in I-90 Safety Operation
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Highway Patrol troopers from Minnesota and South Dakota are on Interstate 90 today for a joint high-visibility enforcement operation aimed at criminal interdiction and reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities.
At 7 a.m. Thursday morning, June 21, troopers from the two states’ patrols began working I-90 from Mitchell, S.D., to Worthington, Minn. The operation will include troopers generally assigned to the area as well as additional personnel from nearby duty stations.
They will conduct the joint operation until 11 p.m. Thursday evening, enforcing all traffic and highway laws with emphasis on seatbelt use, speeding and drinking and driving. The goal is to encourage safe driving behavior. In addition, K-9 units or police service dogs, will be working the highway, and the Motor Carrier Division will be conducting truck inspections. Other state, federal and county law enforcement agencies to include the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office will provide a supportive role in this operation.
“It’s an opportunity for troopers from the neighboring states to work together in a mission intended to raise awareness of the importance of highway safety and to enforce all traffic and criminal laws in both states. By teaming up our forces we can accomplish so much more on the I-90 corridor in the name of Public Safety,” said Capt. Kevin Joffer, commander of the South Dakota Highway Patrol’s Sioux Falls district. “If the presence of additional troopers encourages motorists to make safe choices, that’s the best outcome.’’
“Sadly, 368 lives were lost on Minnesota roads in 2011. We’re teaming up on this joint enforcement, so families and communities do not have to go through the pain of a preventable tragedy,” says Capt. Brian West, Minnesota State Patrol. “Stopping speeding, impaired, distracted and unbelted drivers are preventative measures to ensure safety on Minnesota and South Dakota roads.”
Joffer and West will discuss the two-state operation during a joint appearance at the Sioux Falls Police Department’s regular daily news briefing at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, June 21. The briefing is held at the Police Law Enforcement Center, 320 W. 4th Street, Sioux Falls.
In South Dakota, the I-90 enforcement effort is a complement to the “100 Days of Heat’’ campaign, a summer-long highway safety initiative that involves the Highway Patrol, state Office of Highway Safety and law enforcement agencies across South Dakota. About half of South Dakota’s traffic fatalities occur during the summer. Each year, the holidays with the most car accidents are Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day – a span of time that covers nearly 100 days.
-30-
