South Metro Officers Among Minnesota’s Top DWI Enforcers Honored at Twins Game
Provided by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
Published: August 31st, 2026.
TWIN CITIES, MINNESOTA: Several south metro law enforcement officers were among Minnesota's top impaired-driving enforcers recognized Sunday at a Minnesota Twins game, including officers whose agencies have dedicated specialized positions to identifying impaired and dangerous drivers.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) recognized 57 law enforcement officers as DWI Enforcement All-Stars on Sunday, Aug. 30, honoring officers who led efforts to remove impaired drivers from Minnesota roads during 2025. Together, the 57 officers made 4,415 DWI arrests in 2025, accounting for approximately 16.5% of the 26,711 DWI arrests statewide.
Six officers serving communities in the south metro were among those recognized, including officers from Savage, Shakopee, Prior Lake, Dakota County, Inver Grove Heights and Belle Plaine.
Six south metro officers named DWI Enforcement All-Stars
The south metro officers recognized were:
Adam Crain, Savage Police Department — 107 DWI arrests
Colin Meinders, Shakopee Police Department — 58 DWI arrests
Amanda Ley, Prior Lake Police Department — 52 DWI arrests
Blake Scheffknecht, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office — 50 DWI arrests
Aryk Arndt, Inver Grove Heights Police Department — 49 DWI arrests
Joseph Theis, Belle Plaine Police Department — 32 DWI arrests
Combined, the six officers made 348 DWI arrests during 2025.
For several of those officers, Sunday's statewide recognition follows other honors and specialized assignments centered on impaired-driving enforcement.
Savage Officer Records 107 DWI Arrests
Savage Police Officer Adam Crain led the six highlighted south metro officers in DWI arrests, with 107 during 2025. Crain has served as the Savage Police Department's dedicated Traffic Safety Officer, a specialized position funded through a Minnesota Department of Public Safety grant and focused on impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving and other dangerous driving behaviors. The department appointed Crain to the position after receiving the grant in late 2022. His work quickly produced results.
According to the Savage Police Department, Crain arrested 93 impaired drivers in 2023, with approximately 25% of those drivers suspected of being impaired by substances other than alcohol. Overall, Savage officers made 212 DWI arrests that year. Crain's work earned him recognition as the department's 2023 Officer of the Year.
In announcing the award in May 2024, Savage Police highlighted not only Crain's enforcement efforts but his work coordinating training and traffic enforcement events. Crain is also a certified Drug Recognition Expert, commonly referred to as a DRE, and has provided training related to drug recognition and distracted driving. Later in 2024, Savage announced that the department had received a Traffic Safety Officer grant for a second consecutive year, thereby fully funding Crain's specialized position.
Crain's 107 DWI arrests in 2025 represented an increase of 14 arrests compared with the 93 he made in 2023.
Provided by the Savage Police Department/Facebook
Meinders Selected for Shakopee's Specialized Traffic Safety Position
Shakopee Police Officer Colin Meinders was also among Sunday's honorees after recording 58 DWI arrests in 2025. Meinders was selected in October 2024 to become Shakopee's DWI/Traffic Safety Officer as the department entered its third year of participation in a grant-funded program through the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety.
The department said at the time that the program had demonstrated significant success during its first two years. Meinders took over the specialized position after it had previously been held by Officers Predovich and Wiseman. Meinders joined the Shakopee Police Department in February 2023 after previously serving with the Waseca and Worthington police departments.
When announcing his selection for the traffic safety assignment, Shakopee Police thanked Meinders for his dedication to making the community safer. His 58 DWI arrests during 2025 ultimately placed him among Minnesota's DWI Enforcement All-Stars.
Provided by the Shakopee Police Department/Facebook.
Ley Earns Another Recognition For 52 DWI Arrests
Prior Lake Police Officer Amanda Ley was recognized as a DWI Enforcement All-Star after making 52 DWI arrests during 2025, continuing a year in which her impaired-driving enforcement efforts have received multiple honors. In January, the Prior Lake Police Department named Ley its 2025 Officer of the Year.
The department specifically highlighted her 52 DWI arrests when announcing the award, saying her dedication to public safety had made a significant impact on the community. Ley was approaching her sixth anniversary with the Prior Lake Police Department at the time of the announcement. Several months later, in May, Ley was recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for her efforts to keep impaired drivers off the road.
The department again highlighted the 52 DWI arrests she made during 2025, thanking Ley for her work removing impaired drivers from the streets and protecting the Prior Lake community. Sunday's DWI Enforcement All-Star recognition adds another statewide honor for those same enforcement efforts.
Provided by the City of Prior Lake/Facebook during Ley’s recognition by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Additional South Metro Officers Also Recognized
Two officers serving Dakota County communities also made the statewide list. Dakota County Sheriff's Office Deputy Blake Scheffknecht was credited with 50 DWI arrests during 2025, while Inver Grove Heights Police Officer Aryk Arndt recorded 49 arrests.
Belle Plaine Police Officer Joseph Theis rounded out the six south metro officers highlighted by Limitless Media News with 32 DWI arrests.
Together with Crain, Meinders and Ley, the six officers were responsible for 348 DWI arrests during the year.
State Trooper Leads Minnesota With 195 Arrests
Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Gustavo Culbeaux recorded the most DWI arrests of any officer on the statewide list, making 195 arrests in 2025. Culbeaux led both Minnesota overall and the metro-area rankings. Rochester Police Officer Lance Ulrich ranked second statewide with 185 DWI arrests and recorded the highest total among officers in Greater Minnesota. Minnesota State Patrol Trooper Mihai Strogoteanu followed with 181 arrests. Trooper Alex Forsman recorded 148, and Eden Prairie Police Officer Chad Streiff made 142.
The state also recognized two Drug Recognition Evaluators. Minnesota State Patrol's Taylor Znajda completed 37 evaluations, while Gaylord Police Officer Robert Kniefel completed 34. Prosecutor Bill Lemons of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association was additionally honored as a DWI Prosecutor Enforcement All-Star for his work securing convictions.
“When someone makes the choice to get behind the wheel impaired, they make a choice to threaten the lives of everyone on the road,” Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson said.
“These DWI enforcement All-Stars stepped up to protect everyone who uses our roads around the state and make the arrests that can save lives,” Hanson continued. “Being a member of this all-star team clearly demonstrates their extraordinary commitment to saving lives every shift, every day.”
57 Officers Responsible For One in Six DWI Arrests
The numbers behind the recognition demonstrate how much DWI enforcement was conducted by the relatively small group of officers. Minnesota recorded 26,711 DWI arrests during 2025, according to the Office of Traffic Safety.
The 57 Enforcement All-Stars were responsible for 4,415 of those arrests, or approximately one out of every six DWI arrests made statewide. Impaired driving also continues to contribute to deaths and serious injuries on Minnesota roads.
Through July 13, preliminary figures for 2026 showed:
40 alcohol-related traffic fatalities
179 alcohol-related serious injuries
13,670 DWI arrests
Between 2020 and 2025, Minnesota recorded 815 alcohol-related traffic fatalities, an average of approximately 136 each year. Another 2,380 alcohol-related serious injuries were recorded during the six-year period, an average of approximately 397 annually. Figures from 2024 through 2026 are considered preliminary and remain subject to revision.
DWI Convictions Can Carry Significant Consequences
Minnesota officials say impaired drivers can face the loss of their driver's license for up to a year, thousands of dollars in costs, and possible jail time. Consequences become more significant for repeat offenders. Drivers with three or more impaired-driving offenses are required to use an ignition interlock device for three to six years or face the possibility of never regaining their driving privileges.
For officers such as Crain, Meinders and Ley, Sunday's recognition also illustrates the role specialized traffic enforcement programs have played in Minnesota's efforts to identify impaired drivers. All three recorded dozens of DWI arrests during 2025, while Crain and Meinders have served in dedicated traffic safety positions supported through state grant programs.
Across Minnesota, the 57 officers honored Sunday accounted for more than 4,400 impaired-driving arrests in a single year — arrests state officials say can help prevent impaired-driving crashes, serious injuries and deaths before they occur.
