The Falcon Heights and St. Anthony Village City Councils voted to move forward with a contract to renew a police services partnership between the two cities starting March 1, 2025. St. Anthony Village approved the commitment Tuesday, Oct. 22, and Falcon Heights approved the commitment Wednesday, Oct. 23.

Following Council direction, a contract is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

Under the new partnership, the St. Anthony Police Department (SAPD) will provide 24/7 emergency response within Falcon Heights beginning in March 2025. SAPD will also begin a phased increase in daily patrols within city limits following its 21st Century Policing philosophy, as additional officers become available. Patrol hours will ramp up as staffing permits, with 24-hour patrols expected by January 2027.

To support the partnership, SAPD will hire nine additional staff members, including four patrol officers, two swing shift officers, an investigator, a community engagement officer and an administrative support role. The cost of these new positions will be covered through contract fees paid by Falcon Heights, and the increased SAPD capacity will benefit both the St. Anthony Village and Lauderdale communities. Recruitment and hiring efforts will begin immediately.

The new partnership includes a commitment to prioritizing formal and informal communication between the Falcon Heights, St. Anthony Village and Lauderdale City Councils to ensure stability and ongoing alignment on contract management, service expectations and shared risk. A new Joint Operations Committee consisting of City leaders and SAPD command staff will meet quarterly to review expectations and service levels.

Falcon Heights will initially pay St. Anthony Village the equivalent of $878,000 annually for police services, with the rate increasing up to $1.6 million annually as staff and dedicated patrol hours are added during the ramp-up phase. Pricing was determined based on a blend of City population and annual call volume.

As part of the contract costs, Falcon Heights will contribute $263,700 annually for shared fixed costs and capital contributions to support necessary facility upgrades. St. Anthony Village is evaluating expanding the existing police facilities at City Hall, constructed in 1996, or constructing an addition to the current fire station to create a combined public safety facility.

Updated Thursday, October 24, 2024

April 2024: Following six weeks of community engagement, the Falcon Heights and St. Anthony Village City Councils voted to proceed with continued exploration of a police services partnership between the two cities beginning in 2026.

February 2024: The Falcon Heights and St. Anthony Village City Councils held a joint workshop around renewing a police services partnership. They directed staff to get feedback from both communities, as well as the St. Anthony Police Department (SAPD), before deciding to proceed. That engagement, which occurred over the last six weeks, included a survey, one-on-one conversations with residents, conversations with SAPD officers through an outside consultant, and two town halls where community members provided thoughts and feedback.

Additional resources and information:

• Initial St. Anthony Village Police Department staffing
• Q&A
• April 2024 Town Hall presentation
• Falcon Heights-St. Anthony summary of survey responses

The City of Falcon Heights has been looking for a long-term fit for policing services since 2022.

The City wants a partnership that makes sense logistically, is financially feasible and, most importantly, reflects the policing approach and priorities community members have identified.

The City is currently working with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) to develop a service extension through Feb. 28, 2025. RCSO has provided policing services since January 1, 2018. The City and the RCSO mutually agreed in March 2023 that Falcon Heights should explore law enforcement options that are a better long-term fit, primarily for logistical reasons.

Falcon Heights partnered with the Center for Values-Based Initiatives in 2022 and 2023 to analyze our existing police services contract and resident satisfaction with law enforcement within the city. The process included community engagement to gather feedback on priorities and needs, building upon earlier engagement conducted by the Inclusion and Policing Task Force in 2016 and 2017.

St. Anthony Village previously provided contract law enforcement services for Falcon Heights from 1994 to 2017. The St. Anthony Village City Council voted to terminate the contract in 2017 as both cities evaluated the partnership following the killing of Philando Castile by a St. Anthony Village police officer during a July 2016 traffic stop. The Falcon Heights City Council agreed to the termination.

City staff have carefully analyzed the city’s needs and available policing options over the past several months. Based on this review, creating a renewed partnership with St. Anthony Village has emerged as a potential good fit for several reasons: level of service, physical proximity, logistics, financial considerations, and – most importantly – the clear commitment the St. Anthony Village Police Department (SAPD) demonstrates to practices that align with the values of Falcon Heights residents.

Police Services Priorities and Expectations

Through the focus groups and randomized resident survey conducted by the Center for Values-Based Initiatives, many of our residents expressed that they miss the level of services previously provided by the SAPD and appreciated the department’s community-based policing approach.

Understandably, the thought of a partnership will raise concerns and painful memories of the killing of Philando Castile in our city. As we discuss a potential relationship, it’s imperative that we recognize Philando and the impact his killing had on all of us — including his loved ones, the communities of Falcon Heights and St. Anthony Village, our leaders and our staff, along with the members of the St. Anthony Police Department and their families.

Falcon Heights expects that respect for all will be the foundation for policing in our community, regardless of which agency is selected to be our final partner. Services will align with the following priorities identified through previous engagement: emergency response, cultural competence and community engagement, informative policing, and prioritization of serious moving violations.

Additionally, the partner will place an emphasis on building positive police-community relationships, recognizing that mutual safety is built through mutual trust. The selected partner will also be asked to provide data reporting and transparency through ongoing data analysis, public feedback and open communication.

Additional Information: 

• City Council agendas
• 2023 Law Enforcement Contract Analysis Study
• 2016-2017 Inclusion and Policing Task Force