In Minnesota, a police officer or firefighter who suffers from a physical or mental condition that limits their ability to perform the normal duties of their position for a period of at least one year, and where that condition is the direct result of an injury or illness arising out of or incurred during the performance of inherently dangerous duties, is eligible for Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) Police and Fire Plan Duty Disability benefits. In turn, a police officer or firefighter who is determined to be eligible for PERA Duty Disability benefits is also eligible for Continuation of Health Insurance Benefits in accordance with Minn. Stat. § 299A.465. State Troopers, DNR Officers, and BCA Officers who are determined to be eligible for Duty Disability benefits under the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) State Patrol Plan are also eligible for this benefit.

As of January 1, 2019, a new law has gone into effect that may drastically change the way work-related PTSD claims are handled in Minnesota. For PTSD injuries that occur on or after January 1, 2019, there is now a presumption for first responders that their PTSD is work-related. A first responder’s PTSD still must meet the criteria set forth in the DSM-V and be diagnosed by a doctor of psychology or a medical doctor working in a related field.

In 2018, the Minnesota legislature took a huge step, and passed legislation creating a workers’ compensation statutory presumption of PTSD for our state’s first responders. In other words, for certain workers in the state of Minnesota, including police officers, firefighters, corrections officers, and others defined as “first responders,” a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder is to be presumed to be work-related. The goal of this bill, authorized by Representative Nick Zerwas (R), and which had almost unanimous support in the legislature, was to eliminate barriers to quick, effective medical care for our State’s first responders suffering from PTSD.

Sadly, the City of St. Paul is disbursing its mounted patrol unit. This unit consisted of officers riding specially trained horses who assisted in community outreach as well as crowd and riot control. The City of St. Paul cited lack of funding for its decision to end the unit. The City of St. Paul will reassign the officers to other units. Three of the horses will be returned to the people who donated them to the Police Department for this service and the other three horses are looking for new homes. These exceptional horses were in constant training to keep the officers and the public safe. Copper, Guinness, Cowboy, Javi, Moose, and Charlie served the City of St. Paul well and deserve to enjoy a peaceful retirement. These horses were selected specifically for their temperament and ability to perform their duties. They also had to pass strict fitness tests and temperament tests. These horses and officers are in constant training. The horses have to be prepared to not get scared and run at loud noises, unusual smells, or flashes of light. The City of Minneapolis maintains a mounted patrol unit and the Minnesota Mounted Posse Association is a group of deputy sheriffs who also maintain a mounted patrol unit.