By Mara H. Gottfried
Pioneer Press
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The chief of the Minnesota State Patrol is moving on to a new role, the agency announced Wednesday.
Col. Matt Langer worked for the State Patrol for nearly 25 years and, after climbing through the ranks, has been in charge for the past decade.
He’s leaving to become the International Association of Chiefs of Police director of global policing in Alexandria, Va. His last day will be April 2 and Lt. Col. Christina Bogojevic will serve as interim chief.
Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson will immediately begin the process to name a new colonel.
“Col. Matt Langer’s dedication, compassion and commitment to Minnesotans will leave a lasting impact on our state,” Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. “He has been my first phone call during incredible challenges, and has been by our side to celebrate major accomplishments, including passage of the hands-free bill and making Minnesota’s roads among the safest in the country.”
Langer said he’s proudest of troopers’ daily work to keep roads safe. The State Patrol said his accomplishments include:
- Focusing enforcement efforts on preventing driving behaviors that cause fatal crashes. Minnesota roads are now the third-safest in the nation.
- Advocating for passage of the state’s hand-free cell phone bill in 2019.
- Signing a pledge to increase the number of female troopers and support staff to 30 percent by 2030.
- Growing an internal peer support team.
- Reestablishing a chaplaincy program.
The State Patrol has been in the news recently, with the Hennepin County attorney’s office charging a trooper last month in the fatal shooting of motorist Ricky Cobb II in July in Minneapolis. Ryan Londregan is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, first-degree assault and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Cobb. His attorney has said Londregan was acting to protect himself and a colleague
After troopers pulled over Cobb, 33, and found he was wanted for violating a protection order in Ramsey County, one trooper told Cobb he was under arrest. Cobb shifted into drive and took his foot off the brake, and his car began to slowly move forward, according to the criminal complaint. Londregan pointed his gun at Cobb and yelled at him to get out. Cobb took his foot off the brake again and Londregan shot Cobb, the complaint said.
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