Report Recommendation 4.2

Saint Paul Police Department employee evaluations rely on community engagement as a core performance area. Supervisors evaluate employees with respect to the following areas:

• Commitment to the department's mission in the community,  
• Public interaction that is open, engaging, interactive, approachable, interested, understanding, and whether the employee listens and cares, conveys compassion and empathy, and is diplomatic when appropriate,                        
• Responsiveness to citizen issues, keeping promises and following through to build relationships,
• Efforts to establish neighborhood contacts and address issues of common concern,
• Utilization of department resources and technology to advance community policing initiatives,
• Proactive work to foster or improve police-community relationships,
• Commitment to work that supports, sustains and engages department and city goals toward a respectful environment.  
• Understanding of and interest in the city’s Racial Equity initiative, incorporating the values and benefits of eliminating racism during the execution of assignments.  

When a St. Paul cop and a homeless veteran met, grace followed
Pioneer Press | Jan. 13, 2017

The Saint Paul Police Department encourages officers to engage our community outside of squad cars and offices through recognition and commendation for non-enforcement activities. 

Crime prevention through community engagement, relationships and trust is a core value of the Saint Paul Police Department. The department facilitates dozens of programs allowing patrol officers, and every employee, to engage the public in non-enforcement activities. Participating in community engagement activities is not only possible for department employees; it is part of the department’s evaluation of employee performance for all staff, including patrol officers.

The Saint Paul Police Department completed a workload based study in 2017 to better understand workloads, employee demands, changing trends and other conditions. Understanding changing workloads related to calls for service, investigative requirements, changing technology requirements and other influences are critical as the department works to evaluate its engagement efficiency.  Several deployment adjustments were made based on the information learned. 

In 2019, an additional staff study was completed.  Several facets of the department were examined and recommendations were made with some being implemented as to how the department should be organized and staffed.  The department remains committed to excellence and to further understand how it can provide the best possible service to those who hold us accountable.   

The Saint Paul Police Department utilizes non-enforcement activities to prevent our young people from making negative life-impacting decisions.  The department partners with multiple community groups and organizers so officers can refer idle youth at risk of making poor decisions to programs that help build job skills, assist with performance in schools or otherwise redirect their energy and attention. 

Not applicable for local law enforcement.