First Responders

Cops in the North Star State Take Potshot at 4/20 Sign-Stealing Stoners

April 22, 2022Joshua Skovlund
4/20

To blunt Minnesota burglars’ intentions of poaching North Branch’s 420th Street sign, municipal workers placed it atop a 20-foot pole. And North Branch Police Officer Mike Nelson cracked a few jokes about it on his department’s social media. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine.

Minnesota lawmakers made consuming cannabis a petty crime in 1976, and medical marijuana has been legal there for 18 years, so you probably think the North Star State wouldn’t suffer any shenanigans on 4/20, the day partisans of pot celebrate the smoke nationwide.


But there are always April 20th shenanigans in North Branch, a small city roughly 30 miles north of Minneapolis. That’s because weed warriors annually steal the community’s 420th Street sign.


So a while ago, municipal officials decided to blunt the yearly burglary by placing the sign atop a 20-foot telephone pole. And the North Branch Police Department piled on, taking to social media Wednesday, April 20, to taunt the tokers by telling them they’d “never be as high” as the placard on its new pole.


“Please do not try to steal our sign,” the message continued. “We have a trap at the bottom. It may include munchies as a distraction technique.”


4/20
To blunt Minnesota burglars’ intentions of poaching North Branch’s 420th Street sign, municipal workers placed it atop a 20-foot pole. North Branch Police Department image.

While no Doritos were hurt in this faux police sting, some online commentators apparently took the gentle jab as a dare, said Michael Nelson, a school resource officer who masterminded the social media campaign to mash North Branch’s mellow.


“The post initially was, I mean, designed to be kind of quirky and kind of funny. But obviously, it kind of took off. And then in the comments, they started going after, ya know, now it’s a challenge,” said Nelson, 26, who has doubled as his department’s social media manager for the past four years.


He told Coffee or Die Magazine he could remember the 420th Street sign getting stolen back when he was in middle school.


After Nelson’s post went viral — more than 10,000 shares, 9,000 “likes,” and 900 comments on Facebook by Thursday afternoon — he reached out to his chief, Dan Meyer, who had a good chuckle and then increased patrols around the leafy landmark, just in case the challenge was accepted.


4/20
Although recreational marijuana use in Minnesota remains illegal on the books, for small amounts of pot, it’s a minor misdemeanor offense — a reform lawmakers enacted in 1976. Composite by Coffee or Die Magazine.

The sun rose Thursday on 420th Street, and Nelson was at the pole to see what happened.


“I was just sitting on the side of the road, laughing, and decided to take a selfie and post it and just let everyone know that, ‘Hey, it’s still up there,’” he said.


But the back-and-forth between Nelson and online commenters also served a more serious purpose. He and his department use social media to bridge the gap between law enforcement and citizens, much like officers do when they host community events like Coffee With a Cop or local 5K runs.


The police also maintain an online presence because it helps them catch criminals.


“I mean, we’ve solved a multitude of crimes using social media,” Nelson said. “Posting pictures of suspect vehicles or suspects in the area, things like that. And being able to solve things that it really helped us — things that we wouldn’t have solved before if we didn’t have social media.”


North Star State
In Minnesota, the North Branch Police Department uses social media to connect with citizens of all ages. North Branch Police Department photo.

But he insists that was never the point of the 420th Street sign gag. No cops went hunting for hemp, hash, or homegrown on April 20. Nelson saw it as a funny way to reach sign-stealing stoners who probably don’t normally check out most police press releases.


“We acknowledge that there’s this nonofficial holiday. We are not aggressive on trying to arrest anybody for marijuana,” Nelson said. “You don’t have to be scared that we’re going to be hounding you for these things.”


Read Next: Green Beret: ‘You Can Shit Your Pants Twice a Year Before You Lose Cool Points’



Joshua Skovlund
Joshua Skovlund

Joshua Skovlund is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die. He has covered the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, multinational military exercises in Germany, and civil unrest during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis. Born and raised in small-town South Dakota, he grew up playing football and soccer before serving as a forward observer in the US Army. After leaving the service, he worked as a personal trainer while earning his paramedic license. After five years as in paramedicine, he transitioned to a career in multimedia journalism. Joshua is married with two children. His creative outlets include Skovlund Photography and Concentrated Emotion.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay: The World War II General Who Firebombed Japan

Who exactly was Gen. Curtis LeMay? And how did he become the commander who razed more than 60 Japanese cities during World War II?

eric smith marine corps commandant nominee
Highly Decorated Marine Officer Nominated To Be Next Commandant

President Joe Biden has nominated a highly decorated Marine officer who has been involved in the transformation of the force to be the next Marine Corps commandant.

USS Arizona
Profile of a Ship: USS Arizona

When the USS Arizona sank, it took 1,177 crew members with it. Today it remains beneath the water as a memorial to all those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor.

b1 bombers bosnia
US Bombers Fly Over Bosnia in Sign of Support Amid Continued Secessionist Threats

A pair of U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers flew low over Sarajevo and several other Bosnian cities...

SR-71 Blackbird
SR-71 Blackbird: The Spy Plane That Could Outrun Missiles

Lockheed Martin’s SR-71 Blackbird was a government secret for years. Now retired, a newer version plans to take its place.

medal of honor recipient remains returned
Missing 73 Years, Medal of Honor Recipient's Remains Return To Georgia

Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Regiment made a desperate retreat as North Korean troops closed in arou...

dear jack
Dear Jack: My Battalion Is Out of Control

In this installment of “Dear Jack,” Marine veteran and amateur life coach Jack Mandaville advises a lieutenant colonel on how to restore order in the lower ranks.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved