Study Of St. Paul Police Department Calls For Hiring Of More Than 100 People
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The St. Paul Police Department has released the results of a study that examined its staffing levels.
The main findings of the study suggest that the department should add 103.5 full-time positions to meet the demands of St. Paul's population. Eighty percent of those hires would be sworn.
The study also recommended that the department increase its number of investigative sergeants, reorganize units to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of investigators, and hire more civilian employees to fill administrative positions currently held by sworn personnel.
Among the most pressing challenges affecting the department were:
- increasing call loads limiting the ability of police to respond in a timely manner as the city's population has grown
- the growing complexity of investigations as technology has advanced
- and a organizational structure that has not evolved to meet increasing caseloads, specifically in the Homicide, Sex Crimes and Family Violence units
The study, which was requested by Police Chief Todd Axtell in January 2019, was conducted by Cmdr. Jack Serier. Serier is a 29-year law enforcement veteran who served as the Sheriff of Ramsey County. He holds a doctoral degree in leadership, policy and administration from the University of St. Thomas.
In a statement, Axtell said the department will use the study as a guide moving forward.
"I want to thank Cmdr. Serier for his comprehensive, thorough and thoughtful study," Axtell told the media. "I look forward to further analyzing the findings and working with Mayor Carter, the City Council and our community to make an already great police department even better, and this study is a great tool."