Saint Paul Police Department Explained

Agencyname:Saint Paul Police Department
Abbreviation:SPPD
Patch:sppd patch.png
Motto:Trusted Service with Respect
Formedyear:1854
Country:United States of America
Countryabbr:USA
Divtype:State
Divname:Minnesota
Subdivtype:City
Subdivname:Saint Paul
Map:Ramsey County Minnesota Incorporated and Unincorporated areas St. Paul Highlighted.svg
Sizearea:56.2sqmi
Sizepopulation:285,068 (2010)
Police:Yes
Local:Yes
Headquarters:367 Grove St.
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Sworntype:Police Officer
Sworn:575
Unsworntype:Civilian
Unsworn:~300
Chief1name:Axel Henry
Chief1position:
Chief of Police
Officetype:District
Website:Saint Paul Police Department

The Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) is the main law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It was established in 1854, making it the oldest police organization in the state. In the beginning the men did not have a stationhouse. Prisoners were taken to the Fort Snelling brig until the city built a jail. The SPPD is the second largest law enforcement agency in Minnesota, after the Minneapolis Police Department. The department consists of 575 sworn officers[1] and 200 non-sworn officials.[2] [3] The current Chief of Police is Axel Henry. He is the 42nd chief in the history of the St. Paul Police Department and was sworn in November 2022.

History

In 1920 St. Paul Councilman and Public Safety Commissioner Aloysius Smith, requested that the St. Paul Police start a Police program for the youth.[4] Sergeant Frank Hetznecke was selected to create the program.[4] In its first year, 750 students signed up for the training program and in February 1921 the first student monitored crossing took place with students from Cathedral school on Kellogg Blvd. Sergeant Hetznecke is credited with introducing the Sam Browne belt and badge that became synonymous with school patrol across the country and administering St. Paul's program for 30 years.[4]

During the Prohibition era, the department was remarkably corrupt. In 1936, the chief, Thomas Brown was fired after an investigation showed he had protected criminals including the Dillinger and the Barker-Karpis gangs.[5]

An arrest outside of a bar on 26 September 2010 is the subject of a lawsuit that claims excessive force.[6] In March 2011, the elite Gang Strike Force was disestablished when a state audit could not account for 13 vehicles and over $18,000 in cash the unit had seized. The auditor's report indicated that Officer Ron Ryan had sold property his detail had retained.[7] Press reports indicated the unit used money taken from gang members to attend a 2009 professional conference held in Hawaii.[8] [9] The SPPD had two prominent incidents of misconduct in relation to their dogs in 2016 and 2017.[10] [11]

Command structure

NOTE: By contract, all investigators (detectives) hold the rank of sergeant.

List of Chief of Police[12]

NameDates
William R. Miller1854-1858
John W. Crosby1858-1859
John O'Gorman1859-1861
Horace H. Western1861
James Gooding1861-1863
Michael Cummings1863-1864
John R. Cleveland1864-1865
George Turnbull1865-1866
John Jones1866-1867
James P. McIlrath1867-1870
Luther J. Eddy1870-1872
James P. McIlrath1872-1874
James King1875-1878
Charles Weber Jr.1875-1878
John Clark1883-1892
Albert Garvin1892-1894
John Clark1894-1896
Michael N. Goss1896-1900
Parker L. Getchell1900
John J. O'Connor1900-1912
Frederick M. Catlin1912
Martin J. Flanagan1912-1913
Michael Gebhardt1913-1914 (Acting)
John J. O'Connor1914-1920
Thomas E. Campbell1920-1921
Henry J. Crepeau1921-1922
Michael Gebhardt1922
Frank W. Sommer1922-1923
Michael Gebhardt1923-1924
Edward J. Murnane1924-1930
Thomas E. Dahill1930 (Acting)
Thomas A. Brown1930-1932
Thomas E. Dahill1932-1934
Frank R. Cullen1934
Michael J. Culligan1934-1935
Gustave H. Barfuss1935
Charles W. Coulter1935-1936
Clinton A. Hackert1936-1943
Charles J. Tierney1943-1952
Neal McMahon1952-1954
Albert A. Anderson1954-1955 (Acting)
William F. Proetz1955-1961
Frank A. Schmidt1960-1961 (Acting)
Lester McAuliffe1961-1970
Robert LaBathe1970 (Acting)
Richard H. Rowan1970-1979
Robert LaBathe1980
William W. McCutcheon1980-1992
William Finney1992-2004
J. Mark Harrington2004-2010
Thomas E. Smith2010-2016
Kathy Wuorinen2016 (Interim)
Todd D. Axtell2016-2022
Jeremy A. Ellison2022 (Interim)
Axel C. Henry2022-

Department awards

The department has only issued medals / awards since 1971. The current medals are:[2]

Department size[3]

Like most major cities, the city of St. Paul saw a population decline beginning in the late 1960s. However, the department continued to grow.[3] [13]

YearCity PopulationSworn OfficersNon-Sworn Law Enforcement Personnel
18499104
18587,00011
186310,40110
187120,03019
1888133,156160
1900163,065195
1920234,698357
1930271,606358
1940287,736345
1950311,32936826
1960313,41138943
1970309,98046369
1983270,230495
1990272,235524131
2000287,151547211
2010285,068560 300
2013290,770630 350
2023303,176575225

See also

References

44.9564°N -93.0858°W

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/police
  2. http://www.stpaul.gov/index.asp?NID=461 City of St. Paul, MN - Official Website - Police
  3. http://www.spphs.com/ Saint Paul Police Historical Society — Home
  4. Origins of the School Safety Patrol, 1921, MNOPEDIA, Minnesota Historical Society website, Eric W. Weber, St. Paul, Minnesota, published: October 29, 2012,https://www.mnopedia.org/thing/origins-school-safety-patrol-1921
  5. News: Walsh . James . Did St. Paul really protect gangsters during the Prohibition era? . 25 June 2021 . Minneapolis Star-Tribune . 25 June 2021.
  6. Man's suit says St. Paul police brutalized him, by: Chris Havens, Star Tribune, 4 October 2010
  7. Gang Strike Force shut down after audit finds $18,000, 13 cars missing, by Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 23 March 2011
  8. Several officials criticize Gang Strike Force's publicly funded Hawaii trip, by Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 5 April 2009.

    In January 2011, SPPD officers roughed up and used a taser on a black man while that man was peacefully waiting for his kids in a public area

  9. https://tcdailyplanet.net/news/2014/08/28/st-paul-man-cellphone-assault-video-identified-claims-charges-dropped St. Paul man from cellphone arrest video identified; police dropped charges in July | Twin Cities Daily Planet
  10. Web site: Reeves. Mel. 2021-03-27. Recent police misconduct in St. Paul and Minneapolis have raised alarm. 2021-05-22. spokesman-recorder.com. en-US.
  11. Web site: 2017-12-08. Minnesota police dog attacks innocent woman taking out her garbage, video shows. 2021-05-22. thestar.com. en.
  12. https://www.spphs.org/history/chiefs.php
  13. http://www.sppdfederation.com/ Saint Paul Police Federation