20-year veteran tapped to lead Minn. State Patrol

By Louis Krauss
Star Tribune

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Interim Col. Christina Bogojevic will be the next chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, making her the second woman ever to lead the State Patrol, the Department of Public Safety announced Thursday.

Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson praised the selection in his announcement, saying Bogojevic brings a “wealth of knowledge, leadership and dedication, not only to the organization, but to law enforcement as a whole.”

Bogojevic “embodies the State Patrol’s core values and cares deeply for the people with whom she works and serves,” Jacobson said. “I am confident she will continue to make a positive impact within the State Patrol and communities across our state.”

Bogojevic, who joined the State Patrol in 2003, was named to lead the agency in an interim role following the departure this month of Col. Matt Langer, who left for a position with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. She had been lieutenant colonel with the patrol since December 2022.

The first woman to serve as chief of the Minnesota State Patrol was Anne Beers, who led the agency from 1997 to 2005 and was the second woman to lead a state police agency in the United States. Beers said Thursday that she “couldn’t be happier” about the selection of Bogojevic.

“To have this opportunity of having another woman rise through the ranks and be in a position to be colonel, I just praise the organization and I praise her for her commitment and her abilities,” said Beers.

In the last year, the State Patrol has actively sought to recruit more women to its ranks in hopes of boosting its female troopers and support staff to 30% by 2030.

Beers said she met Bogojevic when she was promoted to second in command, and thought it was a “great step” by Langer to put Bogojevic in a spot where she could eventually serve in the agency’s top job. Beers described Bogojevic as “very capable” and said the State Patrol was in good hands.

In the announcement, Bogojevic said she cares “deeply about our people and our mission” and that she’s “honored to have the opportunity to serve as chief.”

“I look forward to working with Minnesota State Patrol staff and allied agencies who work so hard to keep residents safe on Minnesota roadways,” she said.

Gov. Tim Walz posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he believes Bogojevic will bring leadership, compassion, and a dedication to law enforcement to her new role.

“I’m grateful for her service and look forward to working together to keep Minnesota’s communities safe,” Walz said.

Among her jobs with the State Patrol, Bogojevic has been captain of the Rochester district, a lieutenant in the Commercial Vehicle section, an investigator and a crash reconstruction specialist. She was previously a part-time law enforcement officer in Grand Meadow, Minn., according to the Public Safety Department.

—

©2024 StarTribune. Visit startribune.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.