Report Recommendation 1.8

The Saint Paul Police Department continually looks for new ways to recruit a diverse workforce. The department recognizes diversity as a crucial element in establishing and expanding trust, which also has a positive impact making the department less insular and more receptive to change. Efforts include youth-outreach initiatives, creating entry-level position programs designated for upward promotion into police officer positions, and culturally-specific programming.

In 2017, the department created an entirely new initiative called the Law Enforcement Career Path Academy (LECPA). This initiative helped to develop an additional career pathway into law enforcement. Students earn while they learn. A bridge course is offered in partnership with Century College, providing students entry-level skills training in preparation for required credentials. New hires will receive career navigation and educational support as they enroll in a degree program to become law enforcement officers. Students will complete over 3000 hours of community service hours before ever responding to their first 911 call.   

New St.Paul Police program aims to mentor recruits
Star Tribune | Mar. 8, 2017

Apply Here or Learn More about the Career Ladder Program

Over the next several years, the Saint Paul Police Department will recruit and support the training of more than 100 future law enforcement officers. The department will explore additional partnerships with local colleges, neighborhood organizations and the private sector to make it easier for people from diverse backgrounds to achieve their dreams of becoming police officers in Saint Paul.

The department has committed to recruiting officers from a variety of backgrounds – including those who are fluent in the languages spoken in our community and those who truly understand and value diversity. These commitments are listed throughout the department’s recruitment and racial equity plans.

New St. Paul police program aims to mentor recruits
Star Tribune | March 8, 2017

Internal Memo to Background Unit Regarding Hiring Standards
SPPD | March 16, 2017

The Saint Paul Police Department has invested in and expanded its culturally specific Junior Police Academies to encourage city youth to become Saint Paul police officers, recruit a more diverse workforce and work toward ending racial disparities.  In 2019, our first Junior Police Academy participant graduated from the Saint Paul Police academy and now serves the City as a police officer.

In addition, we created a Law Enforcement Career Path Academy (LECPA) feeder program to help further promote a more diverse workforce while creating opportunities and removing barriers for non-traditional police candidates.  In 2019, we graduated out first participants from this program as police officers as well and as proof that these programs work. 

In 2020, the Saint Paul Police Department will continue its work with Human Resources to analyze both hiring and promotional testing practices to identify biases and deficiencies within the process that impact the success of diverse candidates. We have shown progress in the recent past. In 2014, the police academy class was approximately 32% diverse at graduation. The 2016 academy class was 55% diverse at graduation.  In 2017, the police officer graduating class included:

• People from the United States, Honduras, Cambodia, France, Somalia, Ethiopia, Laos and the Philippines
• People who speak English, Hmong, Spanish, Khmer, French, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Visayan, Oromo, Somali and Swahili
• 31 males and three females
• There were also 19 people of color.

In 2019, the graduating class was 77% woman and people of color. 

The Saint Paul Police Department will enhance recruitment efforts in partnership with Saint Paul Public Schools through a cooperative effort with the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program.

The goal is to increase positive interactions with police and youth. This fosters relationships and opportunities to recruit a large group of local teenagers, most from diverse backgrounds, not only for future law enforcement careers, but also for immediate positions as police explorers, interns, reserves, and volunteers. This includes participation in the Right Track internship program. 

The Saint Paul Police Department will continue to utilize the entry-level positions of parking enforcement officer (PEO) and community liaison officer (CLO) as an avenue to equitable hiring of diverse candidates. As of March 1, 2020, the PEO position was 75% diverse and the CLO position was 100% diverse. 

Not applicable for local law enforcement.

Not applicable for local law enforcement.

Not Applicable for local law enforcement.

Not applicable for local law enforcement.

The Saint Paul Police Department and the Police Federation have contractual language establishing an annual shift bid process that allows officers to choose their working assignment and shift to best fit their work-life needs. This process is meant to assist all of our officers in their ability to deliver trusted service with respect every day they come to work. 

The Saint Paul Police Department is committed to continually evaluating its staffing and deployment to ensure that deployments support officer safety and wellness.