Saint Paul Police Department
| Saint Paul Police Department | |
| Abbreviation | SPPD |
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| Patch of the Saint Paul Police Department. | |
| Motto | Committed to Excellence, Ethics, Empathy & Education |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1854 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | City of Saint Paul in the state of Minnesota, USA |
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| Map of Saint Paul Police Department's jurisdiction. | |
| Size | 56.2 square miles (146 km2) |
| Population | 287,151 (2000) |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 367 Grove St. Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Police Officers | Authorized to 630 |
| Civilians | ~300 |
| Agency executive | Thomas E. Smith, Chief of Police |
| Districts |
List
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| Website | |
| Saint Paul Police Department | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
The Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) is the main law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was first established in 1854, making it the oldest police organization in the state. The SPPD is the second largest law enforcement agency in Minnesota, after the Minneapolis Police Department. The department consists of over 600 sworn officers and 200 non-sworn officials[1][2]. The current Chief of Police is Thomas E. Smith, who was sworn in on June 15, 2010. He succeeded John M. Harrington, who had been the department's chief since 2004.
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[edit] Command Structure
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Chief of Police |
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| Assistant Chief |
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| Senior Commander |
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| Commander |
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| Sergeant |
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| Police Officer/Detective |
[edit] Department Awards
The department has only issued medals / awards since 1971. The current medals are[1]:
- 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
[edit] Department Size[2]
Like most major cities, the city of St. Paul saw a population decline beginning in the late 1960s. However, the police department has continued to grow[2]. The current police chief also has a hiring push underway to increase the size of the force to help continue to fight crime.[3]
| Year | City Population | Sworn Officers | Non-Sworn Law Enforcement Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1849 | 910 | 4 | |
| 1858 | 7,000 | 11 | |
| 1863 | 10,401 | 10 | |
| 1871 | 20,030 | 19 | |
| 1888 | 133,156 | 160 | |
| 1900 | 163,065 | 195 | |
| 1920 | 234,698 | 357 | |
| 1930 | 271,606 | 358 | |
| 1940 | 287,736 | 345 | |
| 1950 | 311,329 | 368 | 26 |
| 1960 | 313,411 | 389 | 43 |
| 1970 | 309,980 | 463 | 69 |
| 1983 | 270,230 | 495 | |
| 1990 | 272,235 | 524 | 131 |
| 2000 | 287,151 | 547 | 211 |
| 2009 | (269,188; 2009 Census Estimate) | 630 (Authorized size, current size around 560. See note below.) | 300 (Projected) |
NOTE: While the department is authorized to a force of 630 sworn full-time officers, 300 civilian personnel, and over 100 reserve police officers, budget reductions due to cuts in local government aid to cities (LGA) have resulted in lower effective staffing for the police department. The city of St. Paul budgets its officers based on state aid and not on local taxes. As it stands now, several positions remain unfilled due to attrition and retirements. It is not known when the department will be up to its fully authorized strength.
