Report Recommendation 1.6

The Saint Paul Police Department has always used operational plans to professionalize its response in the community by identifying goals, outcomes and community safety. The department remains committed to putting the community first by considering the impact of every planned police operation on local communities. In 2016, the department mandated that supervisors who draft police operations plans must also measure potential impact to the local community. The goal is to never erode community trust through enforcement activities.  In 2020, the SPPD standardized it's operational plans consistent with FEMA's National Incident Management System.

Police operational plans will not only cite details that help the department succeed in the mission at hand but also balance the needs and impact to the community.

The Saint Paul Police Department is committed to continuing its tradition of co-producing public safety with the community we serve, this includes working with the community to solve problems and prevent crime. The department will place an emphasis on non-enforcement activities when possible to reduce the possibility of causing collateral damage. Activities include:

• Education
• Community partnerships
• Other system professional partnerships to solve problems
• Culturally-competent community liaison specialists to advise the department
• Community forums and less formal interactions
• Department policy feedback form for community input

The Saint Paul Police Department invested considerable time researching feedback methods to better understand service levels and quality of service. The department wanted to measure department/citizen interactions from initial response through case closure. Ideally, these measurements would capture both interpersonal interactions as well as technical services provided by the department.

During the third quarter of 2017, the department launched a permanent online community survey designed to capture the data sets cited above while keeping the survey brief for the convenience for the user.  Included in the community survey was an icon allowing the user to notify the department that they wanted to be contacted.  Internal management responsibilities were assigned to monitor, respond and measure responses of the community survey. 

The department is working with the City's office of Technology and Communications to connect survey results for public viewing.  

Take the Survey

The department supports City and State leaders who enact initiatives that review local and state criminal offenses for minor violations that disproportionately affect minority communities and individuals experiencing disadvantaged social-economic access.