Investigative specialist grant program establishment and appropriation

This bill establishes a one-time $2 million grant program in fiscal year 2027 to help Minnesota law enforcement agencies hire and train investigative specialists. The funds are intended for agencies that struggle with high rates of unsolved crimes or lack sufficient staff to solve cases, with the goal of increasing the number of offenses cleared and improving support for victims. Grant recipients must use the money to create job roles, develop training, and hire non-peace officer staff who provide administrative and investigative support to detectives. To receive funding, agencies must submit detailed plans outlining their goals and performance metrics, and they are required to report back on how many specialists they hired and the impact those hires had on solving crimes.