Safety First newsletter
| Current issue: Oct. 13, 2026 | Subscribe to Safety First today |
Office of Justice Programs: The winding path to becoming a crime victims ombudsman investigator
People working as ombudsmen usually join the ranks with a traditional criminal justice background, but it was different for Rebecca Kutty. She found her calling after reading a Star Tribune article.
The article was about WATCH, a court monitoring organization focused on improving the justice system’s response to violence against women and children. “Protecting and standing up for children is an important role for everyone, and being able to do it within the justice system is both necessary and deeply meaningful,” Kutty said.
Learn more about Kutty’s path to her role at our Office of Justice Programs in our Safety Matters blog.
State Patrol: More than a number — the story behind badge 438
For most of his 28 years with the Minnesota State Patrol, retirement was something Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger could see only in the distance. Now it’s here.
As Geiger prepares to trade in the uniform, he finds himself looking back. At the center of it all is his badge.
Read about Geiger’s career and the history of his badge in our Safety Matters blog.
Homeland Security and Emergency Management: Training the emergency managers of tomorrow
By the time senior Aurora Miller graduates from Spring Lake Park High School, she will have learned how to triage patients, work within an incident command structure, search for survivors in a structural collapse and respond to hazardous materials incidents. She has even practiced one of the hardest aspects of emergency management — sitting with someone in mental distress following a disaster.
Miller learned those skills through her school’s Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). This extracurricular program trains teenagers in basic disaster preparedness and emergency response skills.
Learn more about Miller and the CERT program in our Safety Matters blog.
Department of Public Safety: Two watts, a backyard and a signal to Antarctica
In just two minutes, using a radio in his Twin Cities backyard, Jonathan Stacke once contacted the German weather station team in Antarctica.
Closer to home, Stacke contacts job candidates as a recruiter for the Department of Public Safety (DPS). His duties include talking with those candidates about DPS and its mission.
That talkative nature carries over into his life off the clock, where he chats on the air as a licensed ham radio operator.
Read more about Stacke and his hobby in our Safety Matters blog.
Commissioner’s Corner: What to do if you smell gas
If you smell gas or a rotten egg smell, get everyone out of your home or building right away.
- Do not turn on or off any electric lights or appliances.
- Do not open or close the windows.
- Do not try to shut off the gas.
Get more information from our Office of Pipeline Safety.
Featured social media
Survivors of domestic violence and impacted families deserve to know they are safe and supported. Our commitment is to amplify their voices, connect them to resources and push for system changes that respond with compassion instead of blame.
See what the Office for Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls is doing during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and join in this important mission of safety, support and solidarity for Black women and girls and all domestic violence survivors.
About the newsletter
We are here to keep people safe and improve the lives of those who live, work and play in Minnesota.
Part of that is making sure you have all the information you need to make safe decisions for your loved ones.
Safety First brings that information to you every other week along with updates on what we are doing to serve you, the people of Minnesota.