The Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) is the main law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the City of
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...
, United States. It was established in 1854, making it the oldest police organization in the state. The SPPD is the second largest law enforcement agency in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, after the
Minneapolis Police Department
The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is also the largest police department in Minnesota. Formed in 1867, it is the second-oldest police department in Minnesot ...
. The department consists of 615 sworn officers and 200 non-sworn officials.
[City of St. Paul, MN - Official Website - Police](_blank)
[Saint Paul Police Historical Society — Home](_blank)
/ref> The current interim Chief of Police is Jeremy Ellison.
He was appointed to the position in May 2022, following Todd Axtell tenuring his retirement from the position of Chief of Police, which he had held since 2016.
History
In 1920 St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
Councilman and Public Safety Commissioner Aloysius Smith, requested that the St. Paul Police start a Police program for the youth.[ Origins of the School Safety Patrol, 1921, MNOPEDIA, Minnesota Historical Society website, Eric W. Weber, St. Paul, Minnesota, published: October 29, 201]
/ref> Sergeant Frank Hetznecke was selected to create the program. 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 of Saint Paul (Minnesota), Cathedral school on Kellogg Blvd. Sergeant Hetznecke is credited with introducing the Sam Browne belt
The Sam Browne is a leather belt with a supporting strap that passes over the right shoulder, worn by military and police officers. It is named after Sir Samuel J. Browne (1824–1901), the British Indian Army general who invented it.
Origins
...
and badge that became synonymous with school patrol across the country and administering St. Paul's program for 30 years.
During the Prohibition era
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic be ...
, the department was remarkably corrupt. In 1936, the chief, Thomas Brown was fired after an investigation showed he had protected criminals including the Dillinger
John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dill ...
and the Barker-Karpis gangs.
An arrest outside of a bar on 26 September 2010 is the subject of a lawsuit that claims excessive force. 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. Press reports indicated the unit used money taken from gang members to attend a 2009 professional conference held in Hawaii. The SPPD had two prominent incidents of misconduct in relation to their dogs in 2016 and 2017.
Command structure
NOTE: By contract, all investigators (detectives) hold the rank of sergeant.
* The time that a uniformed sergeant holds this rank is shown by arcs below the chevrons, one for each 5 years after promotion. After three are obtained the next 5 year periods give progressively a diamond and then a star in the field between the arcs and chevrons. Although this is analogous to the uniforms of the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, no additional command authority is granted.
Department awards
The department has only issued medals / awards since 1971. The current medals are:
*Medal of Valor Class A
*Medal of Merit Class B
*Medal of Commendation
*Life Saving Award
*Chief's Award For Valor
*Chief's Award For Merit
*Chief's Award
*Officer of the Year
*Detective of the Year
*Civilian Employee of the year
Department size
Like most major cities, the city of St. Paul saw a population decline beginning in the late 1960s. However, the department continued to grow. Saint Paul Police Federation
/ref>
See also
* List of law enforcement agencies in Minnesota
This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the state of Minnesota.
According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008 ''Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies,'' the state had 448 law enforcement agencies employing 9,667 swor ...
* Homer Van Meter
Homer Virgil Van Meter (December 3, 1905 – August 23, 1934) was an American criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.
Biography
Early life
Van ...
References
External links
Saint Paul Police Department
Saint Paul Police Historical Society
Saint Paul Police Foundation
Saint Paul Police Federation
Saint Paul Police Reserves
*Rare 1941 stop-motion animation color film entitled, "St. Paul Police Detectives and Their Work: A Color Chartoon"
{{authority control
Government of Saint Paul, Minnesota
Municipal police departments of Minnesota
1854 establishments in Minnesota Territory
Government agencies established in 1854