Construction of the Dakota Access pipeline from North Dakota to Illinois has drawn several thousand protesters to an encampment near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
Earlier this week, Wisconsin Emergency Management was contacted under an Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) Request from the Morton County Sheriff's Office in North Dakota to provide law enforcement assistance.
Their request was for 50 Wisconsin law enforcement officers.
The Wisconsin State Patrol provided 17 of these troopers, which is the largest number of officers in the Wisconsin contingent. Among the 17 Wisconsin State Patrol troopers, two are sergeants and one is a lieutenant.
The Wisconsin troopers began their week long mission on Monday, October 10 and will return Saturday, October 15.
During their time in North Dakota, troopers will help provide relief to local law enforcement officers who have been stretched thin and are in need of a break due to the duration of these protests.
"They're ensuring that all assignments fall within our policies and that our troopers have been trained to do any assigned work and have the equipment they need to do it safely," Director of WisDOT Office of Public Affairs Patty Mayers explains.
Mayers went on to say that all costs associated with the EMAC Request will be fully reimbursed.
