Saint Paul Police Department
The Saint Paul Police Department is the main law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the City of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It was established in 1854, making it the oldest police organization in the state. The SPPD is the second largest law enforcement agency in Minnesota, after the Minneapolis Police Department. The department consists of 615 sworn officers and 200 non-sworn officials. The current Chief of Police is Todd Axtell.
He succeeded Thomas E. Smith, who had been the department's chief since 2010.
Command structure
| Title | Insignia |
| Chief of Police | |
| Assistant Chief of Police | |
| Deputy Chief of Police | |
| Senior Commander | |
| Commander | |
| Lieutenant | |
| Sergeant | |
| Police Officer |
NOTE: Current contract allows for a lieutenant rank, but the rank is NOT currently in use by the department as sergeants perform the same functions. By contract, all investigators hold the rank of sergeant.
- The time that a uniformed sergeant holds this rank is shown by arcs below the chevrons, one for each 5 years after promotion. After three are obtained the next 5 year periods give progressively a diamond and then a star in the field between the arcs and chevrons. Although this is analogous to the uniforms of the United States Army, no additional command authority is granted.
Department awards
- Medal of Valor Class A
- Medal of Merit Class B
- Medal of Commendation
- Life Saving Award
- Chief's Award For Valor
- Chief's Award For Merit
- Chief's Award
- Officer of the Year
- Detective of the Year
- Civilian Employee of the year
Department size
| Year | City Population | Sworn Officers | Non-Sworn Law Enforcement Personnel |
| 1849 | 910 | 4 | |
| 1858 | 7,000 | 11 | |
| 1863 | 10,401 | 10 | |
| 1871 | 20,030 | 19 | |
| 1888 | 133,156 | 160 | |
| 1900 | 163,065 | 195 | |
| 1920 | 234,698 | 357 | |
| 1930 | 271,606 | 358 | |
| 1940 | 287,736 | 345 | |
| 1950 | 311,329 | 368 | 26 |
| 1960 | 313,411 | 389 | 43 |
| 1970 | 309,980 | 463 | 69 |
| 1983 | 270,230 | 495 | |
| 1990 | 272,235 | 524 | 131 |
| 2000 | 287,151 | 547 | 211 |
| 2010 | 285,068 | 560 | 300 |
| 2013 | 290,770 | 630 | 350 |
Line of duty deaths
| Name | End Of Watch | Cause of Death |
| Officer Daniel O'Connell | 17 June 1882 | Unknown |
| Officer Hans Hanson | 3 August 1888 | Gunshot |
| Officer Thomas McCarrick | 21 May 1891 | Streetcar accident |
| Officer Charles Mayer | 1 February 1902 | Gunshot |
| Officer James W Finn | 3 June 1902 | Horse accident |
| Detective Frank Fraser | 15 August 1911 | Gunshot |
| Officer Michael Sullivan | 26 June 1914 | Accidental electrocution |
| Sergeant Hans Aamold | 27 September 1914 | Gunshot |
| Detective Paul Gottfried | 3 August 1919 | Gunshot |
| Officer William W McClintock | 4 April 1922 | Motorcycle accident |
| Officer George Albert Stegner | 12 October 1922 | Gunshot |
| Officer William F Wilson | 6 February 1923 | Car accident |
| Officer Edwin Earl Hackert | 6 February 1923 | Car accident |
| Officer Frank Milanoski | 15 August 1924 | Fist fight |
| Officer Albert J Cunnien | 3 July 1925 | Vehicular homicide |
| Officer Fred A Pietsch | 23 February 1926 | Gunshot |
| Officer John Schultz | 26 February 1926 | Gunshot |
| Officer Calbert H Leedom | 20 June 1926 | Motorcycle accident |
| Officer Axel J Soderberg | 21 March 1928 | Fall |
| Officer Mathew Weiss | 17 June 1933 | Car accident |
| Officer Lawrence F Tierney | 14 November 1934 | Gunshot |
| Officer Rich G Hinshaw | 1 October 1937 | Motorcycle accident |
| Detective Allan G Lee | 10 September 1949 | Gunshot |
| Officer Alfred V Sandquist | 18 June 1959 | Vehicular homicide |
| Officer James T Sackett, Senior | 22 May 1970 | Gunshot |
| Officer John Harold Larson | 10 August 1974 | Car accident |
| Officer John O'Brien | 16 April 1981 | Car accident |
| Officer Alfred Biagi | 26 November 1987 | Heart Attack |
| Officer Michael Markuson | 9 March 1989 | Heart Attack |
| Officer Ronald Ryan Jr. | 26 August 1994 | Gunshot |
| Officer Timothy James Jones | 26 August 1994 | Gunshot |
| Sergeant Gerald Vick | 6 May 2005 | Gunshot |
| Officer Joshua P. Lynaugh | 8 February 2013 | Heart Attack |
Misconduct
An arrest outside of a bar on 26 September 2010 is the subject of a lawsuit that claims excessive force.In March 2011, the elite Gang Strike Force was disestablished when a state audit could not account for 13 vehicles and over $18,000 in cash the unit had seized. The auditor's report indicated that Officer Ron Ryan had sold property his detail had retained. Press reports indicated the unit used money taken from gang members to attend a 2009 professional conference held in Hawaii.