Law Enforcement Liaison Serving Northwest MN

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety, is requesting proposals for a Law Enforcement Liaison to serve Northwest Minnesota's 23-county region, with proposals due November 3, 2026, and anticipated award by November 13, 2026. The position requires an experienced sworn law enforcement peace officer or retiree, and responders must not be actively employed as a licensed, sworn peace officer starting October 1, 2026, and throughout the contract period.

Full-time residency within the Northwest Minnesota region (Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Todd, Wadena, and Wilkin) is mandatory. The LEL will function as a liaison between the OTS and state, county, tribal, and municipal law enforcement agencies, promoting participation in traffic safety enforcement programs including Toward Zero Deaths initiatives, occupant protection, impaired driving, and distracted driving. Specific duties include maintaining communication with law enforcement personnel, conducting presentations at mobilization events, attending monthly OTS meetings, assuring delivery of electronic roadway signs, seeking minimum 75% agency participation, and submitting monthly reports evaluating successes and obstacles.

The contract term runs from November 15, 2026, through September 30, 2027, with an option to extend up to four additional years in one-year increments. The cost proposal must not exceed $100,000 for the 12-month period, with services estimated at 1,500 hours annually. Compensation is an hourly rate with reimbursement for travel and subsistence expenses actually and necessarily incurred; no separate allowances apply for travel, equipment, or supplies. The contractor must use their own insured vehicle for frequent travel within Northwest Minnesota and provide their own computer with Microsoft Office 365 and telephone services. Subcontracting is prohibited.

Evaluation is weighted as work plan (300 points), qualifications and experience (400 points), and cost detail (300 points), with selection based on best value. Funding derives from federal DOT sources under Assistance Listings 20.600, 20.608, and 20.616. The contractor must maintain Commercial General Liability ($2 million per occurrence), Commercial Automobile Liability ($2 million combined single limit), Workers' Compensation per statute, and Professional Liability ($2 million per claim) with a $50,000 maximum deductible. Addendum 1, dated October 12, 2026, updated Section 2 regarding scope and sample tasks; acknowledgment is required with submission.