(KNSI) – The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced a new unit designated to fighting the most violent crimes.
According to the BCA, who made the announcement on Monday, the Violent Crime Reduction Unit, or VCRU, has been in operation since the start of the year. It builds on a successful pilot program called the Violent Crime Reduction Support Initiative (VCRSI) that began in April 2022.
The BCA provided agents, criminal intelligence analysts and forensic scientists to partner with local departments seeing a major spike in violent crime amid critical staffing shortages. The team focuses on three key areas: arresting repeat violent offenders, taking guns off the streets, and stopping the flow of illegal drugs. As a result, 1,384 arrests were made, 653 firearms were recovered, 145,070 fentanyl pills and 220 pounds of meth were seized, as were large quantities of other drugs, including cocaine, heroin and MDMA.
The BCA saw such success when the program ended in December of 2023, agency officials went to lawmakers who provided funding for the VCRU to build on to what it had.
When it is at full strength, the unit will consist of fourteen agents, a firearms detection K9, two criminal intelligence analysts, two crime victim/witness coordinators and 11 task force officers from a dozen local partner agencies. The agents will work out of an office that is being outfitted now, allowing the VCRU to respond quickly to local partners in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.
In its first few months, the VCRU has already made a significant impact. They’ve arrested over a hundred wanted criminals and seized 66 firearms, 2,650 fentanyl pills, and 9.2 pounds of meth.
“We know crime does not respect jurisdictional boundaries,” said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans. “That’s why it’s so important we work with our partners in this holistic approach to reducing violent crime. We can follow the criminals, guns and drugs where ever they go and pull them off the street before they can be used in a crime or hurt someone.”
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