WITH MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF BRIAN O'HARA AS HE HIT THE ONE-YEAR MARK ON THE JOB.
JOINING US THIS WEEK, ST. PAUL POLICE CHIEF AXEL HENRY, WHO HIT ONE YEAR ON THE JOB THIS WEEK.
WELCOME BACK, CHIEF.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>> Cathy: WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO YOUR COLLEAGUE OVER ACROSS THE RIVER ABOUT THE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE HAVING IN THE MPD.
IS St. PAUL HAVING THE SAME KIND OF RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES?
>> WELL, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THAT'S A NATIONAL PROBLEM.
SO THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO MINNESOTA OR CERTAINLY MINNEAPOLIS OR St. PAUL.
WE AREN'T IN THE SAME SITUATION THAT THEY ARE.
I THINK I HEARD BRIAN SAY THAT THEY WERE DOWN MAYBE AS MUCH AS 40%.
WE'RE DOWN ABOUT 10%.
I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THE RETENTION, RESILIENCE THAT WE'VE HAD IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO THE BRAND OF THE ST. PAUL POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND CHIEFS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO WORK HERE, AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE WANT TO STAY HERE.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S VERY VERY GOOD.
AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT PIECE.
BUT WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD AT IT AS WELL BECAUSE WE ARE SHORT OFFICERS.
>> Eric: GOVERNOR WALZ SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT DROPPED COLLEGE DEGREE AS A PREREQUISITE FOR A LOT OF THE STATE JOBS.
I WONDER IF YOU'VE GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO WHAT LEVEL OF EDUCATION WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO SPUR SOME MORE HIRING AND GET SOME MORE PEOPLE IN THE POOL.
>> SO, THE NEAT THING ABOUT THAT IN MINNESOTA IS THAT MINNESOTA, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE TO BE PEACE OFFICER, AND THE P.O.S.T.
BOARD DICTATES THOSE THINGS.
INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES AREN'T ABLE TO FLUCTUATE THOSE PIECES.
WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT LOOKING TO LOWER ANY STANDARDS AROUND THAT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS IN St. PAUL THAT HELP YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO MAY BE THE FIRST PERSON IN THEIR FAMILY TO EVER EVEN GO TO COLLEGE, MAKE THAT TRANSITION, SO WE HIRE THEM AND THEN HELP THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS, GIVE THEM EMPLOYMENT WHILE THEY'RE ATTENDING SCHOOL, AND THEN AFTER THAT, THEY GET HIRED BY US.
>> Cathy: INTERESTING.
SAY, WHEN YOU FIRST GOT ON THE JOB, THERE WAS SOME CRITICISM AT FIRST ABOUT THE LACK OF DIVERSITY IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
PRETTY MALE, PRETTY WHITE.
I KNOW YOU DID HIRE A LATINA, HIGHER-LEVEL OFFICER.
HOW ARE YOU DOING IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE DEPARTMENT?
>> WELL, IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING AT, WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE IN.
WE'VE ESTABLISHED A LOT OF PROGRAMS NOW TO BUILD THAT LEADERSHIP.
SO THAT THE FOLKS THAT ARE THERE UNDERSTAND HOW THEY AN ASCEND WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, GETTING THOSE KINDS OF EXPERIENCES, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR COMMAND STAFF AND EVEN THE SERGEANTS COMING UP ARE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT COMMAND SCHOOLS AND BETTER TRAINING.
AND, SO, THOSE THINGS ARE GOING REALLY WELL.
>> Eric: SKYWAYS AND LIGHT RAIL PLATFORMS.
I HEAR THAT A LOT FROM St. PAUL FOLKS WHO ARE DOWNTOWN.
WHAT'S YOUR APPROACH WITH THOSE TWO THINGS?
AND DO YOU COORDINATE WITH THE TRANSIT POLICE?
>> WE DO.
CHIEF MORALES AND I TALK ALL THE TIME, I JUST SAW HIM THIS AFTERNOON.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ON AS A JOINT THING.
IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE A St. PAUL OFFICER AND A METRO TRANSIT OFFICER IN THE SAME SQUAD SO THAT THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER.
MAY BE WALKING A FOOT BEAT DOWNTOWN.
WE TRY TO PARTNER AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN THAT AREA.
THE SKYWAY SYSTEM IS A CHALLENGE, SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I KNOW OUR CITY COUNCIL'S LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY CHANGING SOME OF THE ORDINANCES.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME ORDINANCES HERE IN St. PAUL THAT ARE EXTREMELY OUTDATED, AND, SO, WE NEED TO GET THOSE EITHER REVAMPED OR GET THEM TAKEN OFF THE BOOKS BUT MAKE SURE THAT THE RULES AND THE LAWS THAT WE WANT TO ENFORCE DOWNTOWN ARE THE ONES THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS US TO.
>> Cathy: WHEN YOU LOOK AT DOWNTOWN CRIME RATES, I MEAN, WE'RE SITTING IN A BUILDING HERE, WE'RE IN THE LOWERTOWN AREA OF St. PAUL, WE HAVE TO LOCK OUR FRONT DOOR, JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING DOWNTOWN St. PAUL, WHAT DO YOU SAY AS A POLICE CHIEF?
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENED DOWN HERE IS IT GOT A LITTLE DISORGANIZED.
I THINK THAT OVER TIME, THE LINES GOT A LITTLE BLURRY, AND I THINK THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING VERY COMPASSIONATE WORK AROUND SOME OF THE UNSHELTERED ISSUES AND ALSO AROUND THE DRUG ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH THINGS, AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO ARREST OUR WAY OUT OF THOSE PROBLEMS.
BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, AS THAT GREW OUT, THAT CREATED KIND OF AN APPEARANCE OF INATTENTION AND, SO, IT'S A BIG FOCUS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING BACK THAT ATTENTION AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING OUR COMPASSIONATE EFFORTS THAT NEED TO BE THERE AT THE EXPENSE OF EVERYBODY ELSE THAT'S IN THAT AREA.
>> Eric: HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO BE WORKING WITH THE NEW CITY COUNCIL, YOUNG WOMEN, WOMEN OF COLOR, PROGRESSIVE?
HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR RELATIONSHIP'S GOING TO BE?
>> WELL, I'M REALLY OPTIMISTIC AND XCITED ABOUT IT.
BRAND-NEW FACES COMING IN.
WE LOST A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE EEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY EXPERIENCED, THERE'S SOME CONSISTENCY THERE.
BUT NEW FOLKS BRING IN FRESH EYES.
AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AS WELL, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH THEM, HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE A BETTER AND SAFER CITY.
>> Cathy: SAY, SPEAKING OF SAFE, LET'S TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS.
YOU'RE A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE St. PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
>> I AM.
>> Cathy: YEAH.
BUT WE HAD SOME HIGH-PROFILE SHOOTINGS IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND IT'S TOUGH.
WHAT'S THE St. PAUL POLICE DOING ABOUT THAT?
>> SO, WE HAVE A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOLS IN THAT WE DON'T HAVE SROs.
SO A LOT OF THE ATTENTION THAT WAS DRAWN TO THAT ISSUE EARLIER IN THE YEAR REALLY DIDN'T IMPACT US IN A DIRECTLY WAY IN THE SENSE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE OFFICERS ASSIGNED SPECIFICALLY IN THE SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH St. PAUL SCHOOLS, WE'RE COMMUNICATING LITERALLY DAILY WITH THEM.
THE SUPERINTENDENT AND I TALK PROBABLY ONCE EVERY COUPLE, THREE WEEKS, NOT JUST AROUND BIG ISSUES, JUST CHECKING IN, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE THE FORMAL RELATIONSHIP LIKE MANY CITIES DO, WE HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP AND WE ARE RESPONDING.
WE ALL SHARE THE COMMON GOAL THAT WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE SAFE AND WE DON'T WANT CRIMES IN THE SCHOOLS.
>> Eric: YOUR DEEP ROOTS IN St. PAUL OVER MANY DECADES, DOES THAT INFORM THE DECISION MAKING YOU HAVE SINCE YOU KNOW THE COMMUNITY SO WELL?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, I CAN'T NOT DRIVE THROUGH THIS CITY AND NOT REMEMBER CERTAIN HINGS OR HOW THINGS HAVE GONE.
I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THAT IS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND YOU KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU KNOW A LOT OF THE PEOPLE.
AND, SO, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THAT -- HOW SPECIAL AND UNIQUE EVERY PART OF OUR CITY IS.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO LEVERAGE WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE SAFETY BECAUSE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T MAKE A CITY SAFE BY ITSELF.
WE MAKE IT SAFE BY WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
>> Cathy: I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN IN THE DEPARTMENT A LONG TIME.
BUT WHAT'S IT LIKE -- WHAT'S THE BIGGEST SURPRISE TO YOU NOW BEING CHIEF?
THAT YOU WERE NOT EXPECTING.
>> BOY, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME.
I MEAN, I THINK A LOT OF YOU KIND OF KNOW GOING IN THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A CERTAIN KIND OF WAY.
THE SCHEDULE IS REALLY BUSY.
THAT'S KIND OF SURPRISING T. HAS TAKEN ME AWAY FROM THE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT THOUGHT FOR SURE I'D BE DOING WEEKLY.
WHETHER IT'S ROLL CALL VISITS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
I REALLY WANT TO BE FOCUSED INSIDE THE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A BUMMER.
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING I WOULD CERTAINLY COMPLAIN BOUT.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WORK ON THE STREET, INVESTIGATING THE CRIMES.
SO I CERTAINLY CAN'T COMPLAIN.
>> Eric: GLAD YOU ERE ON THE SCHEDULE FOR S TONIGHT.
THANKS VERY MUCH.
>> APPRECIATE IT.