Latest news with #St.PaulPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
St. Paul Police Department cites most distracted drivers — by a long shot — in state campaign
When you are driving, it only takes one second of taking your eyes off the road and glancing at your phone for a tragedy to happen, law enforcement officials said on the heels of a distracted driving campaign in Minnesota. 'Everybody thinks it will just take a second to look at their phone and it's no big deal and they've done it a hundred times and nothing bad has happened — but we have seen crashes that happen in an instant and not only alters the drivers life but the lives of everyone around them,' said St. Paul Police Cmdr. Jeremy Ellison. After law enforcement agencies across the state joined together in April to target distracted drivers, more than 6,000 citations were given, according to the state Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety. The St. Paul Police Department gave out 1,326 of those, far more than the agency with the next highest number, the Minnesota State Patrol's west metro district, which gave out 329. 'We are not out to write tickets, we're out to save lives. But if drivers won't take safety seriously, enforcement becomes necessary.' said Mike Hanson, director of the Office of Traffic Safety. 'Every time you take your eyes off the road, you're gambling with your life and the lives of others around you. No text, no call is worth a tragedy.' In St. Paul, the police department worked to let the public know they were targeting distracted driving by posting videos on their Facebook page to alert the community about their efforts and by discussing the campaign at regularly scheduled community meetings, Ellison said. During the campaign, St. Paul police placed spotters on the sides of roads looking for drivers using cell phones. When they spotted a distracted driver, they notified officers in squad cars, who pulled the drivers over. The department also used a special vehicle from the state, a pickup that has cameras on the sides to capture video evidence of drivers using their cell phones, Ellison said. During the campaign, one driver was stopped twice in 10 minutes for a hands-free cell phone violation. The 32-year-old man was stopped on April 22 at Seventh Street and Bates Avenue and then seven minutes later cited again at Seventh Street and Payne Avenue, about a mile down the road, Ellison said. In another instance, while traffic was stopped from congestion, the driver in a vehicle next to a St. Paul law enforcement officer was using her phone. The officer turned on his squad car lights and approached the driver who was still intently looking at her phone. She was startled to see the officer near her and was cited for the hands-free cell phone law. In March, a 17-year-old was driving down Shepard Road in St. Paul when her phone dinged and she looked down. 'In that instant, a pedestrian stepped into the roadway,' Ellison said. 'Thankfully it was not a fatality but it had a big impact on her and the pedestrian. She felt terrible that it happened. That's an example of everything seems to be fine and in an instant you look down and things change and tragedy strikes.' In 2024, at least 29 fatalities and 137 serious injuries were attributed to distracted driving, state officials said. One in 11 crashes last year were due to distracted driving. 'It's 100 percent preventable,' Ellison said. 'Those text messages and changing the music or using GPS driving in hand, those are all things that can wait or should be done ahead of time before driving. We really need people to put their phones down.' 'Hands-free' means you can't hold you phone in your hand while driving. The law allows a driver to use a cell phone to make calls, text, listen to music or podcasts and get directions, but only by voice commands or single-touch activation without holding the phone. Accessing social media, streaming videos or Googling information on a device while driving are against the law in Minnesota, even in hands-free mode. Visit for more information about the law. States are telling sheriffs whether they can — or can't — work with ICE Ely team helps fight northern Minnesota wildfires from the sky Letters: Preventing landlords from screening tenants is a one-sided view of our housing problem St. Anthony: 3-year-old hospitalized with reported accidental gunshot wound to head Trooper accused of producing child porn faces new charges in federal indictment
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
St. Paul police and partners help struggling students overcome obstacles and thrive
The Brief Two veteran St. Paul police officers were responding to fights and drug overdose calls almost daily at Humboldt High School, so they decided to take a different approach when it came to dealing with the students involved. Officer Jim Lee and Sgt. Toy Vixayvong started working with the school staff and families to mentor the students, instead of arresting them. Their work started with a few students and has since grown to include dozens after seeing tremendous success. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A partnership between the St. Paul Police Department, St. Paul Public Schools, and the nonprofit The Urban Village, have helped dozens of students at Humboldt High School overcome struggles with violence and drugs and put them on a path to success. This all started two years ago after officers were responding daily to Humboldt for fights and drug overdoses. In one instance, a student almost died from an overdose. The backstory Officer Jim Lee and Sergeant Toy Vixayvong are both veterans with the St. Paul Police Department. Two years ago, Sgt. Vixayvong said they were receiving calls almost daily from the school because of fights and students overdosing on fentanyl. He said he and Officer Lee started thinking about how they could help these students beyond the daily response to the calls through building relationships with the students and school staff. "We found out that there were problems with kids being addicted to opiates and fentanyl and, on top of that, there were lots of fights here," said Sgt. Vixayvong. "One student overdosed, almost died and had to be administered Narcan." "There's been so many challenges post-covid just with mental health, addiction, and just violence and lots of anger," said Stacie Jones, Humboldt High School Assistant Principal. The action plan Sgt. Vixayvong and Officer Lee began coming to the school to work closely with the students through mentorship, homework help, and even taking some to doctors at the University of Minnesota to seek help for addiction. Over time, these students started to thrive and the number of students they worked closely with started to grow. That's when they started to seek another community partner to help with the work, adding the nonprofit The Urban Village to the mix. The Urban Village in east St. Paul works with Karen and Karenni youths in the area. "We believe in raising a child with a village mentality and so what that means is that we're open to partners, whether that's with the schools, police, or other organizations. We can't do it alone so we were really down for it when they came to us and wanting to work with us," said Kaziah Josiah, a co-director of The Urban Village. Today, Officer Lee still picks up students once a week after school and personally drives them to The Urban Village to get resources they need. "You go into policing, you want to help people. Well what does that mean? It means different things for different officers. To us, this is what it means, being connected to the community," said Sgt. Vixayvong. TJ's story Sophomore TJ vividly remembers the day he went to school and everything changed for him. "I was just really scared when my mom found out that overdosed in the hospital. I was terrified. Just knowing that I could've died that day changed my mindset," he said. TJ said he woke up in the hospital and one of the people in the room was Officer Lee. In that moment, TJ said, he was moved. It was a moment that showed him and his friends they could trust the officers and other adults trying to help them. As he continued working with Officer Lee and Sgt. Vixayvong, TJ saw how they were more similar than different. "He went through the same life we went through and that's what touched us, him experiencing what we experienced," said TJ. Many of the students working with these SPPD officers, school staff, and The Urban Village are Asian students. "They were Karen and Karenni students that were struggling through coming from a war-torn countries like back in the 80s and 90s when the first wave of immigrants from southeast Asia came," said Sgt. Vixayvong who recalls his childhood. Officer Lee said looking like the students and understanding their stories helped break down barriers. "I grew up in Frogtown, the St. Paul Frogtown area," said Officer Lee. "Growing up, my parents didn't speak English very well. My dad worked all the time and my mom stayed home and took care of us. She didn't speak English. She didn't know how to reach out to these resources and didn't know they were out there. I didn't know that they were out there and I know how tough that was for me growing up. These students that we work with… I want to let them know that these resources exist." Today, TJ is passing his classes and no longer struggling with addiction. He said he's setting his sights on trade school and he wants to one day donate to The Urban Village as a way to repay his mentors for how they've helped him. "At a point where I was at my lowest, they brought the spark back. I was happy," he said. Looking to the future Sgt. Vixayvong said in about the last year, they've received zero calls for overdoses at Humboldt High School. "Just some of the issues we were dealing with two years ago, we're not dealing with anymore and I really believe it's because of the partnership that we formed," said Kehinde Olafeso, Assistant Principal at Humboldt High School. Sgt. Vixayvong said that idea is crucial to the work he and his St. Paul police colleagues do. "Like the chief said, we can't arrest our way out of a problem that's why we focus a lot on prevention and intervention and that's what we're doing," he said. "I think Officer Toy says you can't arrest our way out of a problem. Just like we can't suspend or dismiss our way out of a problem either. We have an obligation to help these children," Assistant Principal Jones reiterated. With the success Humboldt High School has seen, Jones said she hopes to see this work expand to other schools in the St. Paul School Districts that need it. "We don't feel the need to do it but we want to do it because at the time we were growing up, we didn't have anybody so we want to be that person for them. We want to be a resource for them," said Sgt. Vixayvong.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State of the City: St. Paul mayor discusses fentanyl crisis, reviving downtown
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter delivered his 2025 State of the City address on Monday, highlighting a range of housing efforts aimed at revitalizing downtown. During his address, Carter also spoke about improving violent crime trends and called on community members to join in the fight against fentanyl and opioids. According to Carter, data from earlier this month showed a 73% drop in non-fatal shootings and zero gun-related homicides so far this year. Officers have seized 199 illegal firearms and auto thefts have dropped from 859 in early 2022 to 236 by this March, he said. Carter attributed some of the city's strides in public safety to the St. Paul Police Department's new Non-Fatal Shootings Unit, which aims to stop cycles of retaliatory violence. In just one year, Carter said, the solve-rate for non-violent shootings has nearly doubled from from 38% to 71%. Carter also touted a new fire station that will open on the city's East Side tomorrow, responding to a long-standing disparity in fire-related deaths in East Side neighborhoods. While many areas of public safety are improving in St. Paul, the community continues to face deep challenges related to the fentanyl and opioid crisis. "This fentanyl crisis won't be solved with reaction alone," Carter said. "And it can't be solved with a playbook from history or from another city. Just like we did with gun violence, we must build new strategies together." Minnesota recorded 840 opioid overdose deaths last year, Carter said. Just four months ago, a St. Paul teenager died from fentanyl exposure. In the coming weeks, Carter said city leaders will announce plans for a city-wide fentanyl summit. "This crisis demands all of us facing this common adversary and saving lives together," he said. "Building lasting safety will always be our top and most important job," he continued. "But our most urgent job right now is meeting the moment downtown." St. Paul is facing declining commercial property values and widespread office vacancies as remote work reshapes downtown. "What happens downtown effects every neighborhood, every business, every family in our city," Carter said. City leaders are working to advance various redevelopment projects with a goal of bringing at least 20,000 more residences to a former Ecolab tower, now called Stella, Sherman Associates is adding 170 new residences. The Landmark Tower has also been transformed, with leasing on new units to begin soon. At a downtown property known as Grand Central Block, a 20-story apartment tower with 300 market-rate apartments and 10,000-square-feet of ground-floor retail is envisioned. "This is what it looks like to design a city for people," Carter said, noting one-third of downtown office space is vacant while housing is over 90% full. "The truth is simple: If we want more affordability, more access and more fairness, we need more homes," he said. "And we have to do everything we can to help get them built."
CBS News
21-03-2025
- CBS News
Trial begins for 4 accused in kidnapping, torture of drug cartel debtor in St. Paul
The jury trial is underway for the four people accused of kidnapping and torturing a man in St. Paul, Minnesota, over alleged drug debts to a Mexican cartel. The Ramsey County Attorney's Office charged three of the suspects in January with two counts of felonious kidnapping : Erilng Soren Holdahl, 48; Kendra Sue Johnson, 39; and Richar Sanchez Mujica, 30. In February, 45-year-old Timothy Duane Ripley was charged with kidnapping for a reward and kidnapping to commit great bodily harm. All four suspects are still being held on $5 million bonds. The trial started on Friday morning. According to the criminal complaint, police were investigating Mujica after an informant tipped them off in December 2024 to his alleged drug trafficking connections. In January, a cooperating defendant involved with the cartel told law enforcement they were tasked with assisting Mujica with torturing and killing a drug debtor. The complaint states police who were surveilling Mujica pulled him over and arrested him on Jan. 7, along with passenger Ripley, on Phalen Boulevard near the Edgerton Street Bridge. Mujica was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and a stolen gun, and Ripley also had drugs on him. Mujica allegedly told police he himself owed the cartel 10 lbs of meth and was forced to make collections on their behalf, the complaint states. Police say Mujica handed them his cellphone, which contained photos — sent by a Mexican phone number over WhatsApp — of a man who looked like he was chained up. A SWAT team soon reported to the shop — located right across from the St. Paul Police Department Eastern Division Station, and down the block from an elementary school — and called for everyone to come out. Johnson, Holdahl and the victim exited. The complaint states the victim still had a handcuff on his swollen right wrist, he wasn't wearing shoes and was struggling to walk. He was taken to a local hospital where health care workers determined his bottom teeth were also loose. Johnson and Holdahl, who were engaged to be married, were arrested. Police say Johnson, who owned the shop, was armed and had a bag of meth on him, according to the complaint. He also faces charges of first-degree drug possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The victim told police he had a pending drug case in Hennepin County, and a friend told him to meet a lawyer at the shop. When he arrived, a woman guided him down a hallway where armed men were waiting, the complaint states. He was then beaten before being moved to the basement, where he was handcuffed, tied to a post and suffered more beatings. The victim says he regained consciousness to find Johnson nearby, who offered him some water and was looking for the handcuff keys. The complaint states Johnson then came down, broke the handcuffs and ordered the victim to get out since SWAT team members were there. Johnson denied any involvement in the kidnapping, while Holdahl claimed he also has cartel-related debts that led to his shop being used as a drug-deal hub, the complaint states. He told investigators he was "forced into stuff he didn't want to be involved in." Ripley told investigators he also worked for the cartel to collect debts and denied involvement in the victim's beating, but the complaint states investigators found evidence on his phone that he likely left his device at home on Jan. 6 "to avoid law enforcement analysis and geolocations during criminal activity." Police also found a text where Ripley asked Mujica, "Bro did this guy had a gun when he came inn." A search of Ripley's residence yielded an assault rifle, ski googles and a camo hoodie, which the victim told police one of his torturers had at the shop. All four suspects face decades in prison if convicted.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
St. Paul City Council debates creation of public safety budget oversight committee
Against the backdrop of an ongoing and unusual budget battle with the mayor's office, the St. Paul City Council is contemplating an effort to potentially allow them tighter reins over police, fire and other public safety budgets moving forward. The council has for months called for more guardrails around police overtime spending, but the possible creation of a new council committee dedicated to reviewing public safety expenditures has drawn some criticism from at least one council member who is not fully sold on the idea. On Wednesday, Council Member Anika Bowie introduced a resolution to create a new 'Public Safety and Community Wellness' committee composed of council members, who will provide 'budgetary oversight' over the St. Paul Police Department, the St. Paul Fire Department, the city attorney's office and the St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections. The focus, according to the resolution, is to be 'transparent budgeting, program evaluation and policy development to improve public safety and build trust within the community.' Bowie said the city is 'experiencing challenging times' and needs 'an ongoing structural commitment' toward examining public safety priorities, rather than responding to projected budget shortfalls as they emerge. 'We are facing a public safety crisis that demands a strong, coordinated transparent and accountable response from this council,' Bowie said. 'The fentanyl crisis is destroying families. Our police force is struggling to recruit and retain officers. The budget … (is) making it harder to fund both emergency response and restorative programs.' Rather than call for an immediate vote, Bowie asked for 'Version 2' — a newly-revised version of her resolution, which had been reviewed by the city attorney's office — to be revisited by the council on March 26. The council approved the request for a two-week layover, 6-0, after some critical comments from Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, who noted that the impacted department directors were unfamiliar with the details and had been unaware the resolution was going to be added to the council agenda. 'That's a piece of the communication puzzle for me that still hasn't quite been filled in,' Johnson said. 'To get to a place where I would feel comfortable supporting this committee, I'd also need it to be very clear that some of these directors … are truly behind what you're trying to do here.' Johnson emphasized that to provide more transparency over hot-button spending items such as police overtime and Office of Neighborhood Safety outreach programs, the committee itself would need more transparency. She noted that the 'Version 2' resolution was not available to council members when Wednesday's meeting began, though city staff were able to refresh the council agenda electronically while the meeting was already in motion, publishing the proposed language that had just been introduced to the city's Legistar software onto the Internet for public consumption. 'I've been slightly disappointed about the lack thereof of that transparency, including getting the resolution language for Version 2 now, and not even knowing what it says,' said Johnson, adding that she would nevertheless support the two-week layover. 'I was prepared to come and vote against this today.' Bowie said the two-week layover would provide opportunity to begin those conversations with department leaders. 'I just want to say on record, I hear you, I appreciate the feedback,' she said. 'This revision came before me today.' On Jan. 28, the council released a written statement announcing Council Member Rebecca Noecker as the new council president, and included in the statement reference to the public safety committee as if it were settled. 'The council also intends to create a new Public Safety Committee whose scope and responsibilities will be defined,' reads the Jan. 28 statement. 'Bowie and (Council Member Nelsie) Yang will serve as chair and vice-chair, respectively.' Questions around public safety spending dogged last year's budget process and remain unresolved. Dec. 12, the council voted 4-2 to reject the mayor's 2025 budget proposal and slash $1.2 million from police overtime spending, holding the city tax levy increase to 5.9% through that and other spending changes. Police officials have said robust overtime spending is necessary because the department is short on officers. The mayor, who had opted for a tax levy increase of 6.9%, issued five line-item vetoes at the 11th hour — the evening of Dec. 18 — to override the council's spending decisions. The council responded the next day by voting to override the mayor's overrides, but it remains unclear if their votes had sticking power. Under the city charter, the city budget must be finalized no later than 12 days before the final levy numbers are recorded by the state, which was Dec. 30. The question of which budget proposal now governs city finances remains unresolved. The mayor's office, which has maintained that it remains in the driver's seat of budget implementation, declined official comment last week on the council's proposed public safety committee. 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