State Patrol Comments On Security At State Capitol

By Bruce Hagevik, NewsRadio 830 WCCO

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Capt. Matt Langer of the Minnesota State Patrol says when it comes to security it's hard to tell when enough is enough.

"But I'm confident in telling people that the capitol is a safe place to visit," said Langer.

The Department of Public Safety is in charge of capitol security and the State Patrol is a division of the department.

Langer said 300,000 visitors a year come to the capitol in addition to the people who work there.

Some believe metal detectors should be installed.

"It would fundamentally change the way the capitol operates," said Langer.

About 500 security cameras scan the building and the area along with uniformed and plainclothes officers.

Langer said there's always room for improvement and renewed talk about security is good.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Bruce Hagevik Reports