Report Recommendation 4.5

Each of the Saint Paul Police Department’s three districts hold community meetings each and every month to discuss crime trends, safety concerns and ideas about how to keep all of Saint Paul’s neighborhoods safe.

The Saint Paul Police Department holds as a core value the principle that neighborhood participation is paramount to co-producing safe neighborhoods having the highest quality of life. Therefore, the department and its employees participate in dozens of community meetings every month and work closely with the city’s planning councils, wards and business groups.

The Saint Paul Police Department is constantly evaluating options for patrol deployment that meets basic public safety needs, and allows problem solving and community engagement. 

The Saint Paul Police Department formally conducts regular meetings with local NAACP leadership, advisory councils, community leaders and faith organizations to understand community needs and concerns that may influence leadership decisions and policing policies.

The Community Engagement Division, since its inception in 2019, has worked and will continue to work to formalize and expand opportunities to collaborate with community stakeholders on practices and policies that are essential to 21st Century policing.  The sworn and non-sworn staff meet regularly with the community to identify and expand engagement opportunities- which represent the corner stone of the Saint Paul Police Department's foundation.  This entire division is monitored and overseen by command at the highest levels and the Deputy Chief of the Community Endangerment Division.

Have a great idea for community engagement? Please call the Community Engagement Division at (651) 266-5500. 

The Saint Paul Police Department hosts regular meetings with the Chief’s Community Advisory Committee. This is an open forum where the Chief engages community leaders and hears their concerns to find solutions together. Monthly meetings are held and benefit from strong participation, with at least 10 members representing various community groups in attendance.

The Saint Paul Police Department runs multiple youth engagement initiatives, as well as a standing citizen police academy, ride-along program and police-community initiatives.

Additional information may be obtained from the youth outreach and programming unit (651-266-5418) or the department’s Police Athletic League (651-266-5966). 

The Saint Paul Police Department Youth Outreach and Programming Unit (YOPU) is exploring new ways to engage youth and communities in problem solving, community action and quality of life partnerships. Have a great idea for community engagement? Please call the YOPU at (651-266-5418). 

The Saint Paul Police Department, in partnership with the Boy Scouts of America, maintains and sponsors Saint Paul Police Explorer Post #454 in order to aid in the development of youth and offer young adults the opportunity to explore a career in law enforcement. Post #454 helps the department with public service projects and public events. 

Saint Paul Police Department’s community and volunteer services unit, under the direction of the youth outreach and programming unit, facilitates a variety of programs designed to enhance civilian awareness and participation in departmental goals and activities. 

The Saint Paul Police Department community engagement division (CED) will continue to develop community-informed and locally-focused crime prevention strategies, which will be disseminated throughout the department. The CED also incorporates patrol officers into its strategies, living up to the department’s vision that all employees serve as community engagement stewards.

The Saint Paul Police Department Community Partnerships Unit employees four non-police officer culturally-competent community engagement specialists who meet with community groups to better understand community perspectives and needs, which will then be communicated to department leadership to inform future policies and procedures.

The community engagement specialists currently represent the below communities but serve the entire community in their work:

• African American
• Hispanic
• Karen / Southeast Asia
• Somali /East Africa

Police officers are called upon to be social first responders.  Policing must go hand-in-hand with investment and development in all communities. The Saint Paul Police Department supports the City of Saint Paul and State of Minnesota’s economic development efforts to give all individuals the opportunity to thrive.