In the Beginning — 7

During the 1950s, outreach programs extended far beyond the Saint Paul community. Representatives from many foreign police agencies came to Saint Paul for training in American police methods, administration and scientific examination of evidence. International representatives included officers from Iran, Indonesia, Pakistan, Tunisia, Libya and Greece. Likewise, Saint Paul's police force looked beyond the community for expert training. Detectives were sent to the FBI Academy, Purdue University and the University of Chicago. Training included courses in arson, scientific examination and human relations. FBI instructors came to Saint Paul to conduct training courses. As part of its continuing education program, the Police Department created its own reference library around 1956. In 1957, the Records Division began issuing training bulletins.

Although there was a decrease in crime in Saint Paul in 1957, compared to the national average, it was evident that new efforts and programs were needed. That year, a trouble-spot squad was created to target areas that had higher incidents of crime and focus specifically on gangs and public disturbances. The decrease in criminal activity it provided was short-lived, however. In 1958, Saint Paul had a ten percent increase in crime over 1957, exceeding the national average by two percent. Juvenile crime, which was up fifty-five percent over 1950, accounted for much of the increase. Members of the Police Department attributed the escalating juvenile crime rate to automobiles. Autos gave young people a high degree of mobility, affording them many opportunities for unsupervised outings, including underage drinking in remote areas. Unlocked cars with keys in the ignition were perfect targets for theft and joyriding. On a positive note, for the first time in years there were no pedestrian fatalities in downtown Saint Paul during 1958, attributed primarily to the new strictly enforced jaywalking law.

In 1958, Saint Paul created the first Canine Squad. Three German shepherds assisted officers with searches for missing children, suspects and narcotics. The K-9s, as they came to be called, also demonstrated their abilities during public presentations.

Long before the era of community policing, the Saint Paul Police Department recognized the benefits of maintaining public awareness to solidify links with the community it served. In 1959, the "Police-a-rama" celebrated more than 100 years of law enforcement in Saint Paul. Over 33,000 children and adults attended the week-long open house, touring the facilities and attending demonstrations. The highly successful event was featured in an article which appeared in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin in February, 1960. New community links were established by the Police Wives Association. Formed in 1959, the association enabled police families to contribute many hours to special community service projects.

While the 1950s defined a new suburban American lifestyle, the 1960s turned life upside-down. Civil unrest, assassinations and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations challenged police officers to maintain peace and order. Throngs of people rioted, looted, and burned the American flag and draft cards. Anti-government sentiments bred hostile reactions to the police, who were, after all, government employees. The former image of the friendly neighborhood officer seemed to dissipate.

During the 1960s, reported crimes skyrocketed nationally by almost 150 percent. In Saint Paul, police could not keep up with a rising crime rate that exceeded the national average. Numerous reported incidents spread staffing thin. In 1960, Saint Paul passed a charter amendment to augment funding for the Police Department. More police officers were hired and salaries were raised. Purchases included twenty-six patrol cars, seven motorcycles, fourteen stretcher-equipped station wagons, two cruisers, a boat and outboard motor, and a new polygraph machine. The Training Unit added new materials, including the film Shoot-Don’t Shoot, which simulated a variety of crimes and situations. A new IBM punch card system compiled statistical reports for traffic violations and accidents.

By 1961, it became obvious that the previous year's improvements were not enough. The Police Department required more equipment and personnel. In response, Ramsey County officials offered to collaborate with Saint Paul, providing $25,000 for new Crime Lab equipment. In exchange, Saint Paul agreed to make its Crime Lab services available to all Ramsey County Sheriff’s Deputies. Other additions during the year included hiring the first personnel officer and a full-time instructor for the new gymnasium. The first breathalysers also were put into service.

Late in 1961, Chief Lester McAuliffe organized a study group to survey and assess the needs of the Police Department. An outside consulting firm assisted with the study, which included visiting other police departments around the country to collect information. Based on the study's recommendations, the Police Department underwent a complete administrative restructuring from 1962 through 1964. A Planning Section was created to oversee policies and procedures and ensure that equipment provided maximum service. The Identification and Records Divisions were combined.

In 1961, Carolyn F. Bailey was hired as a police woman, joining Graciela M. Flores, who had been hired in 1953, and Dorthymay (Thimell) Freichel, hired in 1954. All were assigned to work in traditional female police areas, such as juvenile, sex or homicide investigations and did not work on the street as patrol officers. The three were promoted to police woman sergeant in 1971, and Bailey went on to be promoted to the standard lieutenant classification in 1985. Bailey spent a long career, breaking ceilings within the Department for all future police women.

An offset printing press was purchased to print revised forms, internal publications and crime prevention literature. New computers provided the necessary tools to compile and analyze statistics quickly and thoroughly. For the first time, administrative and criminal records also were computerized. Detectives and patrol officers could now complete incident reports in the field and dictate them over the telephone for processing by records personnel. The Emergency Communications Center (E.C.C.) received its first computers. Upgraded radios were installed in patrol cars, while some officers received transistorized “Handie-Talkies” to facilitate communications. To curb excessive speeding, the Police Department purchased its first radar unit.

The Recruit Academy training program was expanded from four to twelve weeks and was opened to all neighboring police agencies. By 1970, training would increase to eighteen weeks. Some members of the Police Department attended professional development and management courses at a variety of institutions, including St. Thomas College Management Center, Northwestern University Traffic Institute, Indiana University and the FBI Academy.

One of the first significant tests of new policies, procedures and equipment came on March 6, 1963. On that day, Saint Paul police responded to a call on Hillcrest Avenue. When they arrived, they found a woman, who had been severely beaten and stabbed in the neck. Detectives, Crime Lab personnel and equipment, and the latest in forensic examination technology soon uncovered a sensational plot. T. Eugene Thompson and five others had planned to murder Thompson's wife. The infamous crime cast Saint Paul into the national spotlight. Detectives and Crime Lab staff had thwarted the "perfect crime." Expert police work resulted in the conviction of Thompson, a respected attorney, and three of his conspirators, all of whom received life sentences.

The 1963 annual report proudly illustrated all of the many achievements. "On Target with Teamwork" became the Police Department's new motto. Its mission statement read, "To preserve peace, protect life and property, to identify and apprehend those guilty of acts inconsistent with this charter."

Additional changes recommended by the 1961 study were implemented in 1964 when a new patrol and response concept was initiated. Statistics compiled by the new computers identified areas and times in the city when incidents occurred. This information enabled the Police Department to assign and dispatch officers more efficiently. In 1966, the system was refined when a tactical patrol approach was adopted. Members of the Saint Paul Police Department first traveled to Tucson, Arizona where they observed the system to determine if it would work in Saint Paul. Originated in England, the concept was based on deployment techniques that hopefully would compensate for shortages in staff. The city was divided into geographical units and grids. As in 1964, officers were assigned according to needs determined by statistical information. Further improvements included construction of a modern Records and Identification Center in 1964 to provide efficient informational access. In 1965, parking control vehicles and an Underwater Recovery Unit were added.

Despite Saint Paul's valiant efforts and accomplishments, the crime rate in Saint Paul continued to rise, following the national trend. In the past, administrative restructuring combined with added personnel and new equipment offered a solution to crime curtailment. By the mid 1960s, this solution ceased working anywhere. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson created the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice to study the nation's law enforcement problems. The final report, which was released in February, 1967, concluded that police departments had become isolated from the communities they served. Among many recommendations, the commission suggested that police departments establish formal community relations units.

Saint Paul responded quickly and created the first Police Community Relations Unit in 1967. Reconnecting with local residents and businesses on a daily basis couldn't come fast enough to quell the riots and demonstrations of the turbulent 1960s. Hatred for police festered and exploded on the streets. In Saint Paul, eighty-nine officers were assaulted in 1968. Twenty needed hospitalization and lost time from work.

The President's Commission Report acknowledged the need to reform law enforcement philosophies, policies and procedures. Yet, many police departments lacked the funds to implement new training and community programs. In 1968, Congress passed the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, which recognized the need to provide better financing and program coordination for local police departments. In the same year, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration was created within the Department of Justice. The new federal agency provided grants to local police departments. It also administered the Law Enforcement Education Program and the Office of Academic Assistance, which funded educational programs for criminal justice students. At the same time, the International Association of Chiefs of Police was actively involved in developing professional training and standards for chiefs, who administered police departments.