St. Joseph Police Department - Minnesota

05/14/2026

Out with the Old, in with the New!

Over the past few months, some of you have noticed that our squad cars look a little.... different. Recently, our department decided to redesign our image and have a more modern look.

That image starts with our squad cars. It was decided to eliminate the white doors and change our graphics to a sleeker design. Needless to say, we love how it turned out. The badge on the front is still the same, but the "POLICE" graphics were updated, and we also added our cityscape logo to the back window. We also added a memorial to the back of each squad, which remembers Officer Brian Klinefelter, who was killed in the line of duty 30 years ago. Not all squad cars have the new look, but as they age out and are replaced, they will be receiving the new look.

The next thing we accomplished was to have our shoulder patches redesigned. Our previous patch included the State of Minnesota with a cap and diploma in the middle. Now, our patch still includes the state's outline, but it now includes our cityscape. Along with that, we added a thin blue line as well. There is also a star in the middle to represent St. Joseph's location in the center of Minnesota. Our cityscape image can also be found on the water tower and on most of the clothing worn by other staff who work for the City of St. Joseph, achieving a uniformed look. Over the next several months, officers will begin to have their uniforms transitioned to have the new patch on their shoulders.

All of us at the police department agree, we think the new designs turned out fantastic and cannot wait for everyone to see them.

05/02/2026

Our speed trailer has been deployed for the year. This speed trailer is placed in specific locations where officers have observed excessive speeds, or our department has received citizen complaints. The trailer will spend a period of time in each location to monitor traffic and speeds. The trailer gives motorists real time feedback about how their speed compares to the posted speed limits.

The speed trailer comes out as we approach "The 100 Deadliest Days of Summer." This term refers to the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day when statistically, there are more traffic related fatalities on Minnesota roads. The causes of this spike in fatalities comes as people are out enjoying the warmer weather. These statistics have been linked to impaired drivers, distracted driving, and speed. Because of this, Toward Zero Deaths, or TZD, is a program that puts extra officers, deputies, and troopers on Minnesota roads to enforce and ensure compliance with traffic laws to change driver behaviors and to curb unsafe and dangerous driving conduct.

Whether you are driving your vehicle to work or running errands, out enjoying wind-therapy on your motorcycle, or taking the classic car for a Sunday cruise, PLEASE watch your speed and slow down, stay off of your phone, and don't drink and drive.

04/22/2026

Is it safe to say summer has arrived? ☀️

Everyone is out and about. Whether it is pedestrians walking, children out playing, or bicyclists, everyone is out and shaking off the winter blues.

With the warmer weather, now is a good time to talk again about electronically-assisted bikes, or E-bikes. With the rise in popularity, we as a police department have received many complaints and also witnessed dangerous riding behavior. Minnesota State Statute 169.222 outlines the state law pertaining to E-bikes.

Riders MUST be at least 15 years old, MUST have a helmet if under 18 years old, follow traffic laws on the roads and stay on the right edge of the road, and give way to pedestrians.

Let us all work together to keep our streets and community safe while enjoying these outside activities.

04/15/2026

This week is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week!

Thank you to the men and women in the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center for all you do! We appreciate everything you do and for watching over our officers! Our dispatchers are the first voice you hear when you call on your worst day or if you need assistance. Cheers to you all!

• Did you know 911 telecommunicators manage thousands of calls each year—often the most intense moments of someone’s life? Their calm professionalism saves lives every day.
• Telecommunicators guide callers through CPR, childbirth, fires, and more—all before help arrives. Their impact is immeasurable.
• Stearns County ranks as the 9th busiest PSAP out of 103 in Minnesota. In 2025 alone, our dispatchers handled 226,594 calls for service, with 66,485 of those being 911 emergencies. We are incredibly proud of the team behind the headset who make this possible.

Happy National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week!

Today we kick off our celebration of the dedicated men and women behind the headset. They guide callers through the toughest moments and keep our responders informed and safe.
Help us honor them—drop a thank-you message below!

04/12/2026

The police department was notified of a dog that escaped from her home in the area of MN ST E and 2nd Ave SE. If anyone locates a German Short Haired Pointer, contact SJPD. We have the owners info. Thank you!

04/02/2026

More like a sweet tooth surprise 🍦

Hey families of St Joseph! Starting May 1, the St Joseph Police Department will keep their eyes open for kids wearing bike helmets while riding. They will have a fun surprise for you!

03/14/2026

‼️ UPDATE ‼️
The National Weather Service has upgraded Stearns County into a Blizzard Warning, effective from 10pm Saturday through 4am Monday.

Snow accumulations are estimated 12”-18” and wind gusts are estimated to be around 45 mph with sustained winds 20-25 mph.

Please reconsider any travel during these times if possible. If you decide to travel, please take extra precautions! Have extra clothes in your vehicle, a full gas tank, water, and a fully charged cell phone battery and/or phone charger!

❄️ WINTER STORM WARNING ❄️

Stearns County is currently under a Winter Storm Warning from 4pm today, Saturday March 14th, until 4am Monday March 16th.

There are multiple different radar maps showing different possibilities for this storm but according to the National Weather Service, we can expect:

⚠️ 6” to 12”+ of snow
⚠️ High winds including gusts exceeding 30+ mph
⚠️ Half-mile or less of visibility

For those having to travel, slow down and increase your following distance. Keep your headlights on for visibility. Our officers will be out and about assisting where needed.

Winter Parking Restrictions are STILL IN EFFECT! Please have vehicles off of city streets by 2am to prevent the possibility of a ticket or being towed! This allows Public Works to safely clean the streets curb to curb.

Stay Safe St. Joseph!

03/05/2026

Thank you to our friends at DTM Fleet Service for their amazing work on building out our new squad. This squad will be hitting the streets soon!

01/29/2026

Today we honor Officer Brian Klinefelter who gave the ultimate sacrifice 30 years ago today.

Officer Klinefelter answered the call to assist in looking for multiple suspects involved in an armed robbery in Albany, MN. Officer Klinefelter located the suspects and lost his life after being shot at.

Officer Klinefelter made the ultimate sacrifice to protect his community. A friend, a coworker, a son, a brother, a husband, and a father. Today, we honor is legacy and his sacrifice to his community.

Officer Brian Klinefelter, rest easy brother, watch our 6, and we will take it from here.

Badge # 775, never forgotten.

12/31/2025

🎆 Happy New Year from the St. Joseph Police Department. 🎇

It’s time to ring in 2026! 🔔

Tonight is about making memories – not mistakes. Start your New Year off right – plan a sober ride.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. 🚔

Stay safe everyone. 🥳