Minnesota State Patrol to Close Baxter Dispatch Center

BAXTER (AP) - The Minnesota State Patrol plans to close its Baxter dispatch center next month as part of a consolidation.

The patrol is consolidating all of its dispatch centers in Minnesota. By this spring, there will be only two operating dispatch centers for the State Patrol, in Roseville and Rochester. Roseville will take calls north of the Twin Cities while Rochester will handle southern Minnesota.

Captain Sean Meagher says the patrol began discussing consolidating its dispatch centers in 2009 and began the consolidation in December 2012.

The last day the Brainerd dispatch center will take calls is March 17th. On April 14th, the Virginia dispatch center will close.

There will be no reductions in personnel, since dispatchers have the option to transfer to one of the open centers.

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