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Police chief reports rising investigations, staffing shortfalls and drug seizures in 2024
Summary
Chief Rick delivered a departmental update detailing increased calls and investigations in 2024, staffing shortages, large drug and firearms seizures via the BCA joint powers agreement, and proposals to add a crisis‑embedded officer and seek grant support for staffing and training.
North St. Paul Police Chief Rick delivered a detailed report at the Feb. 4 regular meeting showing higher call volumes, heavier investigative demand and staffing shortfalls during 2024 and early 2025.
Chief Rick said the department handled roughly 7,100 calls in 2024 and was about 85 incident reports ahead of the same point the previous year. He reported 198 investigations in 2024 and said 77 cases were charged by city or county attorneys as felonies or gross misdemeanors; 30 cases with an arrested person were declined and sent largely to juvenile diversion. He said 22 cases were under county‑attorney review and 34 remained under active investigation.
The chief described large evidence and seizure totals reported by Sergeant Joe Fredericks of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) working under a joint powers agreement. He cited approximately 253 grams of fentanyl, about 673,000 fentanyl pills, 93 pounds of methamphetamine, 22 pounds (about 10 kilograms) of cocaine, 29 pounds of marijuana and substantial seized firearms, including several assault‑style rifles recovered in local cases.
Chief Rick said the department is down five officers (four patrol and one detective) and currently has two field‑training officers supervising trainees in multi‑phase programs. He said the investigations unit has been especially strained and that the department is interviewing for a second investigator and has several patrol and lateral candidates in the hiring pipeline.
On school safety, the chief said the school resource officer (SRO) has responded to Webster Learning Center about 20 times between December and January; he said he has met with Superintendent Andy Beaton and will meet with Webster staff and the SRO to reduce that volume. He said death investigations and search warrants were also up in 2024.
As for operations and training, the chief described an increased burden from mandated, week‑long trainings — including BCA critical incident training, crisis intervention, autism and cultural awareness — and asked council to consider long‑term investments such as a deputy chief position, additional patrol officers, two community service officers, a crime analyst and an embedded crisis worker who would pair a sworn officer with a social worker to handle persons‑in‑crisis calls.
Chief Rick highlighted community policing events and partnerships — praising the BCA joint powers agreement for resources and noting cooperation with Ramsey County, the ATF and FBI — and said the department is considering a contracted grant writer to pursue available funding. He also noted internal changes to the hiring and vacation bid processes to improve retention and morale.
Councilors asked clarifying questions about the crisis‑embedded model and grant opportunities; Chief Rick and the city manager said they would explore available Ramsey County and opioid fund options. The update drew no formal council vote but set the stage for future staffing and budget discussions.
