C-Notes: July 24, 2025
Community Partnership Grants Coming Soon
In just a couple of weeks, we will release the Community Partnership Grant Program. The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Foundation has graciously committed to funding $100,000 in community partnership grants. As in past years, these grants will support community programs that help build trust and foster stronger partnerships in your communities.
Grants of up to $2,500 will be issued by early November. More information will be released in C-Notes in the coming weeks. Start thinking about how your agency can benefit from one of these grants, and I look forward to seeing your application.
Thank you,
Jeff Potts
Executive Director
Memorial Services for Officer Jennifer Zerwas (Ret.)
The Lakes Area Police Department invites all law enforcement officers to attend the memorial services for Officer Jennifer Zerwas, who passed away on July 12, 2025. Officer Zerwas served 12 years in law enforcement and was exposed to multiple critical and traumatic events during her career. She died by suicide as a result of cumulative PTSD.
Public Memorial Service with Law Enforcement Honors
- Date: Saturday, July 26, 2025
- Time: 2:00 p.m. (Visitation begins at 1:00 p.m. and continues after the service until 4:00 p.m.)
- Location: Forest Lake VFW, 556 12th St. SW, Forest Lake, MN
Arrival Details:
Officers interested in participating in a ramp guard for Officer Zerwas and her family are asked to report to the VFW no later than 12:15 p.m. for instructions and formation. All other officers are welcome to attend at any time.
Contact:
For questions, please contact LEMA President Brian Hubbard at 763-531-1011.
Exciting New Partnership with LexisNexis
We are thrilled to announce that the MCPA Board has formed a new partnership with LexisNexis! In early June, the Board voted to adopt this partnership, which will provide all membership agencies with no-cost access to the BuyCrash application.
What Does This Mean for You?
With BuyCrash, you can transition from receiving mailed requests for crash reports to an efficient electronic system. This application offers your agency exclusive access to the LexisNexis Command Center, where you can easily upload copies of your crash reports, saving valuable time. Within the Command Center, LexisNexis will also provide you with a Crash Mapping Tool and Crash Analytics for your agency's accidents.
Additionally, LexisNexis has a database of over 173 million records, allowing you to search crash reports from across the country. They have also teamed up with Experian to offer no-cost access to the AutoCheck system for Vehicle History Reports.
Financial Benefits
LexisNexis will collect any agency fees you may have and reimburse you on a monthly basis. Moreover, as part of our partnership, LexisNexis will contribute $1 from their convenience fee to MCPA.
We are excited to see the positive impact this partnership will bring to MCPA in 2025 and beyond!
Stay Tuned
Keep an eye out for emails from LexisNexis in the coming weeks and months. If you have any questions or would like a short web presentation, please reach out to the Team Manager, Derick Lamoureux, at derick.lamoureux@lexisnexisrisk.com
Fall Leadership Summit Registration Now Open
MCPA is holding the inaugural Fall Leadership Summit, taking place November 18–20, 2025, at Cragun’s Resort. This new event is designed to bring law enforcement leaders together for focused leadership training, professional development, and timely discussion around the key issues facing our profession.
The Leadership Summit will feature presentations from state agency leaders and subject matter experts on high-impact topics relevant to Minnesota law enforcement. The full agenda will be announced soon, but registration is open now. We encourage members to register early to secure a spot.
Scholarships Available for Fall Leadership Summit
Thanks to the support of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Foundation, scholarships are available to help small agencies with the cost of attending the 2025 Fall Leadership Summit at Cragun’s Resort.
This funding helps ensure that leaders from all departments, regardless of size, can participate in this new professional development opportunity. Agencies interested in applying can submit their scholarship request now.
Visit the Fall Leadership Summit Scholarship tab for more information and to access the application form.
Maple Grove Hiring Public Safety Training Facility Manager
The City of Maple Grove is hiring a manager for the North Metro Regional Public Safety Training Facility, a state-of-the-art center serving multiple law enforcement agencies. This full-time role involves overseeing facility operations, managing budgets, supervising staff, and promoting usage and training programs. Ideal candidates will have experience in public safety or facility management and strong leadership and communication skills. Applications are due by August 1, 2025.
MN Supreme Court Council on Child Protection and Maltreatment Prevention – Community Input Survey
The Supreme Court Council on Child Protection and Maltreatment Prevention is developing recommendations to improve Minnesota’s child protection system and prevent maltreatment. The Council is seeking your input to help develop these recommendations, which will be provided in a report to the Minnesota Legislature.
The Council is seeking input from:
- those who are impacted by the child protection system,
- those who work in the system, and
- the broader community around families in the system.
The Council encourages anyone with a perspective on child protection and the prevention of child maltreatment to take this survey. This survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.
Please respond to this survey by Monday, August 18.
Your response to this survey is voluntary and anonymous. Your response will be combined with others and shared with the Council and the wider public at a summary level. Any written comments you provide on this survey may be quoted, unless they identify you. Comments that directly or indirectly identify you or others are confidential under Minnesota Supreme Court Order ADM24-8001 and will not be shared.
Please contact staff to the Supreme Court Council on Child Protection with any questions: SCCPC@courts.state.mn.us.
Final Round of ICPOET Grant Funding
The Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs (DPS-OJP) is requesting proposals to fund the Intensive Comprehensive Peace Officer Education & Training (ICPOET) program. The program is intended to address the critical shortage of peace officers in the state by providing grants to law enforcement agencies that have developed a plan to recruit, educate, and train highly qualified two-and four-year college graduates to become license-eligible Minnesota peace officers.
Approximately $400,000 in state funds are available for 18-month grants. The program period will be January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Local units of government including cities, counties and tribal governments are eligible to apply.
Beginning July 15, the RFP will be open and available to view at the OJP website. All applications must be submitted using the e-grants web-based grants management system by 12:00 pm CST on Tuesday, August 15, 2025. For more information contact Mary Vukelich at Mary.vukelich@state.mn.us.
For questions, please contact Mary Vukelich at mary.vukelich@state.mn.us.
Your Next Drug Interdiction Tool
The Minnesota VCET (Violent Crime Enforcement Teams) Grant Program is now open for 2026–27. This funding supports law enforcement agencies in disrupting drug trafficking and gang activity through targeted enforcement and advanced tools.
One powerful solution to consider for your application: the MX908 handheld mass spectrometer.
The MX908 rapidly identifies trace and bulk quantities of high-risk substances, including:
- Fentanyl and over 2,000 fentanyl analogs
- Methamphetamine
- Counterfeit opioids
- Nitazenes
- MDMA, ketamine, and more
Why it matters:
Drug traffickers are increasingly concealing narcotics in microgram quantities—in low-concentration pills, on currency, packaging, or personal items. The MX908's trace-level sensitivity enables officers to detect these threats before they escalate into larger incidents. Both trace and bulk identification provide critical, admissible evidence that supports prosecution, helping agencies build stronger cases from the field to the courtroom.
VCET Application Deadline: August 8, 2025
Click here for full grant details.
MX908 Resources:
Statutory Change to Notification of Crime Victim Rights
Beginning July 1, 2025, Minnesota Statutes, section 611A.02, subdivision 2(b)(4), requires peace officers to include information about Minnesota’s address confidentiality program, Safe at Home, when providing an initial notice of crime victim rights.
The statute does not specify exactly what information must be shared, but here are three suggestions:
- Safe at Home may help you keep your address confidential. 651-201-1399
- Minnesota’s address confidentiality program, Safe at Home. 651-201-1399 | https://www.sos.mn.gov/safe-at-home/
- To learn about Minnesota’s address confidentiality program, Safe at Home, call 651-201-1399 or visit https://www.sos.mn.gov/safe-at-home/
The Safe at Home office is available to review materials or collaborate with law enforcement agencies to develop appropriate language. For assistance, call 651-201-1399 or email safe.athome@state.mn.us.
Minnesota Vikings Law Enforcement Offers
The Minnesota Vikings and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) are offering specially priced tickets for two preseason games in August:
- Saturday, Aug. 9 vs. Houston Texans – 3 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 16 vs. New England Patriots – 12 p.m.
Tickets start at $22.50, with $10 from each ticket supporting NLEOMF. Open to law enforcement, first responders, public safety, family, friends, and the general public.
Order online: Minnesota Vikings Law Enforcement Offers
Promo Code: NLEOMF2025
For questions or group orders (10+), contact Junior Estrada at 612- 391-0043 or estradaf@vikings.nfl.net.
Law Enforcement Night Minnesota Twins August
The Minnesota Twins are teaming up with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) for a special night of gratitude and appreciation as we salute those who serve our communities. The Minnesota Twins proudly present “Law Enforcement Night” at Target Field on Friday, August 15th when the Twins take on the Detroit Tigers at 7:10 p.m.
This special “Law Enforcement Night” ticket package includes your ticket to the game in sections 121 or 322. A special postgame Country concert follows the conclusion of the game, featuring an artist to be announced later!
Ticket packages start as low as $39.75 and are available to all law enforcement personnel, friends, family, and the general public. $5.00 from each ticket will be donated to NLEOMF.
ORDER ONLINE: Minnesota Twins Law Enforcement Night - National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
For groups of 20 or more, please contact Minnesota Twins Liz Pilarski at LizPilarski@twins.com or (612) 659-3852.