Saint Paul Police Department
| Saint Paul Police Department | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | SPPD |
| Motto | Committed to Excellence, Ethics, Empathy & Education |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1854 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA |
 | |
| Map of Saint Paul Police Department's jurisdiction | |
| Size | 56.2 square miles (146 km2) |
| Population | 285,068 (2010) |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 367 Grove St. Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Police Officers | Authorized to 630 |
| Civilians | ~300 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Districts | List
|
| 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. The SPPD is the second largest law enforcement agency in Minnesota, after the Minneapolis Police Department. The department consists of 615 sworn officers[1] and 200 non-sworn officials.[2][3] 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.
Command Structure
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Chief of Police |  |
| Assistant Chief of Police |  |
| Senior Commander |  |
| Commander |  |
| Lieutenant (see note) |  |
| Sergeant (see note) |  |
| Police Officer |
NOTE: Current contract allows for a lieutenant rank, but the rank is NOT currently in use by the department. By contract, all investigators (detectives) hold the rank of sergeant.
Department Awards
The department has only issued medals / awards since 1971. The current medals are:[2]
- 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[3]
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.[3] The current police chief also has a hiring push underway to increase the size of the force.[4]
| 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 |
| 2010 | 285,068 | 560 | 300 |
| 2013 | 290,770 | 630 | 350 |
Slain officers/Died on Duty
| Name | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel O'Connell | 17 June 1882 | Unknown |
| Hans Hanson | 3 August 1888 | Gunshot |
| Thomas McCarrick | 21 May 1891 | Streetcar accident |
| Charles Mayer | 1 February 1902 | Gunshot |
| James W Finn | 3 June 1902 | Horse accident |
| Detective Frank Fraser | 15 August 1911 | Gunshot |
| Michael Sullivan | 26 June 1914 | Accidental electrocution |
| Sergeant Hans Aamold | 27 September 1914 | Gunshot |
| Detective Paul Gottfried | 3 August 1919 | Gunshot |
| William W McClintock | 4 April 1922 | Motorcycle accident |
| Officer George Albert Stegner | 12 October 1922 | Gunshot |
| Officer William F Wilson | 6 February 1923 | Car accident |
| Officer Edwin Earl Hackert | 6 February 1923 | Car accident |
| Officer Frank Milanoski | 15 August 1924 | Fist fight |
| Officer Albert J Cunnien | 3 July 1925 | Vehicular homicide |
| Officer Fred A Pietsch | 23 February 1926 | Gunshot |
| Officer John Schultz | 26 February 1926 | Gunshot |
| Officer Calbert H Leedom | 20 June 1926 | Motorcycle accident |
| Officer Axel J Soderberg | 21 March 1928 | Fall |
| Officer Mathew Weiss | 17 June 1933 | Car accident |
| Officer Lawrence F Tierney | 14 November 1934 | Gunshot |
| Officer Rich G Hinshaw | 1 October 1937 | Motorcycle accident |
| Detective Allan G Lee | 10 September 1949 | Gunshot |
| Officer Alfred V Sandquist | 18 June 1959 | Vehicular homicide |
| Officer James T Sackett, Senior | 22 May 1970 | Gunshot |
| Officer John Harold Larson | 10 August 1974 | Car accident |
| Officer John O'Brien | 16 April 1981 | Car accident |
| Officer Alfred Biagi | 26 November 1987 | Heart Attack |
| Officer Michael Markuson | 9 March 1989 | Heart Attack |
| Officer Ronald Ryan, Junior | 26 August 1994 | Gunshot |
| Officer Timothy James Jones | 26 August 1994 | Gunshot |
| Officer Gerald Vick | 6 May 2005 | Gunshot |
Misconduct
A lawsuit alleges that on 13 July 2010, SPPD officers took part in a drug raid on the home. The problem was that the police raided the wrong home. The family living there was entirely innocent. Following the raid, the family filed a complaint. That complaint indicated that the police handcuffed the family including the minor children, and the police kept the one of the children from that child's medication, and that the police shot and killed the family dog during the raid, and that the police then traumatized the children further by forcing them to sit next to the body of the deal family pet for hours.[6]
An arrest outside of a bar on 26 September 2010 is the subject of a lawsuit that claims excessive force.[7]
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.[8] Press reports indicated the unit used money taken from gang members to attend a 2009 professional conference held in Hawaii.[9][10]
See also
References
- ^ St. Paul police academy graduating class a diverse group - TwinCities.com
- ^ a b City of St. Paul, MN - Official Website - Police
- ^ a b c Saint Paul Police Historical Society — Home
- ^ Saint Paul Police Federation
- ^ Minnesota Law Enforcement Memorial Association website http://web.archive.org/web/20131017004834/http://mnlema.org/fallen_list.php accessed 10 August 2012
- ^ St. Paul Cops Shoot Dog in Wrong-Door Raid, Force Handcuffed Kids to Sit Near the Corpse, by Mike Riggs, Reason.com, 10 August 2012
- ^ Man's suit says St. Paul police brutalized him, by: Chris Havens, Star Tribune, 4 October 2010
- ^ Gang Strike Force shut down after audit finds $18,000, 13 cars missing, by Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 23 March 2011
- ^ 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
- ^ St. Paul man from cellphone arrest video identified; police dropped charges in July | Twin Cities Daily Planet
44°57′23″N 93°5′9″W / 44.95639°N 93.08583°W