HF4944

Purpose

• Establishes a one-time investigative specialist grant program funded from the general fund to help law enforcement agencies hire, train, and retain investigative specialists. The goal is to increase the rate at which offenses are cleared and improve support for crime victims.

Funding and Duration

• Amount: $2,000,000 from the general fund in fiscal year 2027 (one-time appropriation).
• Eligible recipients: law enforcement agencies as defined in Minnesota Statutes.
• Grant cap: up to $250,000 per applicant.

Grant Mechanics and Priorities

• The Commissioner of Public Safety awards grants to agencies to hire, train, and support investigative specialists.
• Agencies must priority those that:
  • have a disproportionately high rate of unsolved crimes,
  • identify inadequate staffing as a major impediment to solving crimes,
  • present a plan to use investigative specialists to increase crimes solved,
  • show other evidence of commitment to increasing crime-solving performance,
  • identify specific goals and performance metrics to measure effectiveness.

Use of Grant Funds

• Funds must be used to:
  • create recruiting protocols and a job description for investigative specialists,
  • create a procedure manual for investigative specialists,
  • hire investigative specialists,
  • create training programs and train the new specialists,
  • supervise and support investigative specialists.
• Investigative specialists hired under the program must provide administrative and investigative support to detectives and investigative supervisors.
• Recipients must train investigative specialists on confidentiality requirements and other relevant policies and procedures.

Roles and Restrictions of Investigative Specialists

• Investigative specialists are not peace officers and must not identify as peace officers or exercise powers and duties reserved for peace officers, as defined in Minnesota statutes.

Reporting and Evaluation

• Grant recipients must report to the Commissioner of Public Safety on the use of investigative specialists.
• Reports are due six months after a grant is awarded and at the end of the grant period.
• Minimum report content:
  • number of investigative specialists hired,
  • description of training provided,
  • summary of acts performed by investigative specialists,
  • description of the impact on solving crimes.

Significant Changes / Legal Context

• Creates a new, dedicated grant program and defined role for investigative specialists within public safety operations.
• Establishes explicit limits on the role (not a peace officer) and requires formal reporting.
• This is a new funding mechanism and program rather than a broad statutory overhaul of existing law.

Potential Impacts

• Could improve crime clearance rates and victim support by boosting staffing and training for investigative work.
• Provides a structured process for agencies to build dedicated investigative support roles with measurable goals.
• Requires ongoing reporting to monitor effectiveness, with limited, one-time funding.

Relevant Terms - investigative specialists - grant program - general fund - appropriation - one-time appropriation - Commissioner of Public Safety - law enforcement agencies - unsolved crimes / disproportionately high rate of unsolved crimes - crimes solved / rate of crimes solved - inadequately staffed - plan to increase crimes solved - goals and performance metrics - recruiting protocols - job description - procedure manual - training programs - confidentiality requirements - policies and procedures - peace officer - not exercise powers and duties assigned exclusively to peace officers - Minnesota Statutes section 626.84 subdivision 1 paragraph f - reports - six months after grant award - grant period - administrative and investigative support - detectives and investigative supervisors