The publication is reproduced in full below:
ADDRESSING THE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS OF ST. PAUL
______
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 3, 2022
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise to call attention to correspondence I recently received from Todd Axtell, Chief of the St. Paul Police Department. Chief Axtell and the men and women in uniform of the department who serve my constituents are extraordinary public servants who operate with a level of professionalism that has been consistently demonstrated during the difficult circumstances of the past two years. Therefore, I include in the Record Chief Axtell's letter to highlight the increasing challenges being placed on St. Paul police officers.
At this moment, the City of St. Paul is the venue for the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers involved in the murder of Mr. George Floyd in May 2020. This trial has been brought by federal authorities, regarding federal civil rights charges, and concerns a crime that occurred in Minneapolis, not in St. Paul. By selecting St. Paul as the venue for this federal trial, extraordinary security and financial burdens are being placed upon the City of St. Paul, Ramsey County, and our local taxpayers.
It is my belief that the federal court and Department of Justice must not be allowed to shift security related costs onto local government and taxpayers. This is simply unacceptable. Therefore, I am exploring funding options that will ensure the federal government covers all costs associated with security for this federal trial and the City of St. Paul, the St. Paul Police Department, and the property taxpayers of St. Paul are held financially harmless. Though I cannot guarantee funding, my office will make every effort to achieve this goal.
Madam Speaker, I remain committed to working with both local and federal counterparts to achieve a positive outcome for the people of St. Paul. I would also like to recognize Chief Axtell for his leadership and the day-to-day commitment of the St. Paul Police Department to meet the needs of our constituents.
Department of Police,
City of Saint Paul,
January 21, 2022. Hon. Betty McCollum, House of Representatives, Saint Paul, MN.
Dear Representative McCollum: The murder of Mr. George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers on May 25, 2020 sparked unprecedented civil unrest in the State of Minnesota and across the globe.
For several days, an outpouring of frustration sparked reactions ranging from massive demonstrations, to looting, to widespread destruction of property. In the Twin Cities, two people were killed and our community suffered millions of dollars in property damage, including 330 buildings in Saint Paul that were damaged or destroyed.
The past two years have brought dramatic changes in law enforcement staffing; police officers are leaving the profession in numbers that haven't been seen before. The Saint Paul Police Department is currently down 80 sworn officers, our lowest staffing level since the 1990's. Additionally, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic offers daily staffing challenges as members of our department contract the highly contagious virus and are required to quarantine.
While short-staffed, Saint Paul officers are being pushed to the brink while continuing to deliver the high level of service expected by our community. In 2021, Saint Paul experienced a record high number of homicides and saw dramatic increases in other violent crimes.
While struggling to meet the day-to-day challenges of maintaining public safety, our department was notified at the end of November 2021 that the federal civil rights trial for the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd's murder would be held in downtown Saint Paul at the federal courthouse--even though the tragic incident occurred in a different jurisdiction.
As the murder of Mr. Floyd took place in the City of Minneapolis while in custody of Minneapolis police officers, no one anticipated the federal trial being held in Saint Paul.
Law enforcement organizations are typically given six to twelve months to plan for a trial of this magnitude. However, we were given fewer than two months to plan and prepare with our federal and local partners for the upcoming federal trial.
Tensions in the community remain high. Protests and calls for systemic changes continue. The upcoming federal trial has been highly publicized and may inflame intense emotions for individuals across the country.
While we have worked diligently to prepare, it will come at a steep price to our community, our financial bottom line and our officers' wellbeing.
Preliminary budget numbers show this trial could cost the City of Saint Paul $2 million and up to an additional $2 million in mutual aid costs for our East Metro partners. These estimates cover items such as training, equipment, protecting critical infrastructure and fencing, personnel costs, and other needs that arise as a result of the trial being held in our city.
With staffing levels critically low, personnel working during an ongoing pandemic, and officers working a great deal of overtime just to maintain minimum staffing levels, having this federal trial in our city is an extremely heavy lift for our department.
I respectfully seek assistance from the FY22 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) funding bill to reimburse the City of Saint Paul. It is our hope that this will ease the financial strain that the upcoming federal trial will place on our department.
The Saint Paul Police Department's point of contact for additional information is Deputy Chief Stacy Murphy.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Todd Axtell, Chief of Police.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 22
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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