Saying Goodbye to Chief Axtell

Last October Todd Axtell announced his decision to step down from his position as Police Chief of the City of St. Paul. This past Thursday, almost 200 people gathered to give Chief Axtell a fantastic send-off (most assuredly just one of many), marking the conclusion of his 33-year career.  Saying goodbye to the Chief, wishing him well in future endeavors, was bittersweet. Ever an inclusive, people-first leader, Chief Axtell embodies the essence of our well-respected police force: “trusted service with respect.” He will be missed.
 
The event was at times funny, touching, poignant. He was honored by friends and colleagues, thanked most sincerely by the Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold, teased playfully by former Mayor Chris Coleman. He was congratulated by former Chiefs Harrington and Smith, and retired City Councilmembers and police officers Debbie Montgomery and Dan Bostrom, the latter who was Axtell’s boss many years ago on the force. When it was his turn to speak, even then – on a day celebrating him - Axtell turned his comments towards the police department members, both sworn and unsworn, thanking them for their dedication.
 
Back in October Axtell offered thoughts on his departure, and they echoed for me on Thursday. He said, “I’ve learned from those I admire that when you possess the heart of a public servant, you never stop trying to make a positive difference in the lives of your neighbors.” Indeed.
 
Since he took the helm in 2016, Axtell ushered in changes and lived by his commitment for ever-increased transparency and accountability. He encouraged historic levels of community engagement, and was committed to diversifying the department and embracing innovative ideas that can help people stay out of the criminal justice system.
 
Some key examples include: under Axtell’s leadership, the SPPD initiated the expansion of its training program to include crisis intervention training for all officers, Ethical Policing Is Courageous (EPIC) training, moral courage training, de-escalation and disengagement training, and use of force training that emphasizes reductions in injuries to subjects and officers. The SPPD also established the Law Enforcement Career Path Academy (LECPA), focused on recruiting diverse adults between the ages of 18-24 who reside in Saint Paul and come from a low-income family or who face a barrier to employment. The 2019 SPPD Academy class included the first LECPA graduates, helping to make it the most diverse class in the history of the department—30 of the 39 graduates were women and/or BIPOC. This has helped diversify the SPPD ranks; at the end of 2020, 28 percent of officers were BIPOC, compared to 18 percent just four years earlier. In addition, in March of 2021, Chief Axtell signed the 30x30 pledge, to work towards increasing the number of female recruits at SPPD to 30 percent by 2030.
 
Another example of innovation can be found in the SPPD’s Community Outreach and Stabilization Unit (COAST), which is a program based on two nationally recognized police mental health collaborative best practices—a co-responder program and a case management program. The unit, which was originally launched in 2016 to focus on mental health calls, has expanded over the past couple years to include a chemical dependency program and a homeless/un-sheltered outreach program. It is a shining example of what can be accomplished when communities, social service providers and police departments work together to address emerging issues in innovative ways.
 
These changes and many others have helped to make the Saint Paul Police Department a model for excellence in policing.
 
Axtell wrote to the department’s officers last October that they’ve “taken what those who came before us built and made it stronger. You’ve watched over St. Paul through unprecedented unrest,” he wrote to them. “You’ve responded to human tragedies that our community has never before experienced. You’ve worked longer hours with fewer colleagues and never stopped being there for the people in the throes of life’s worst moments. And you’ve done it all under glaring and often harsh scrutiny. I’m so incredibly proud of all of you.”
The same can be said about you, Todd. We are better for your service, and are deeply grateful for your commitment to service and to our city.
 
On a side note: St. Paul has named a police chief selection committee. I applied and was accepted on the committee. Meetings will begin in late May/early June. I’ll keep you all posted on the progress.
 
See you in the trenches.
B

• Florida judge struck down the CDC’s mask mandate for air travel. The TSA and airlines are no longer enforcing the mandate.
• COVID-19 back above Minnesota’s high-risk threshold. Officials are hopeful that immunity levels will limit the cases that result in hospitalization or death.

• Economic indicators to watch this week: First-quarter GDP figures come out on Thursday, and the personal consumer expenditures index, which is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, comes out on Friday. 
• At an International Monetary Fund discussion about the global economy, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that an interest rate increase of 50 basis points "will be on the table for the May meeting" and that it is "appropriate" for the Fed to move "a little more quickly" to tamp down inflation. He also said it would be "very challenging" for the Fed to fight inflation while avoiding a recession.

 Federal:

• Title 42: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set for Wednesday afternoon testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee. The subject of President Joe Biden's decision to repeal the Title 42 public health order that has allowed the federal government to expediently turn away migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border is sure to be a topic of discussion.  Why it's worth watching: Mayorkas is said to have told lawmakers he is concerned about the policy's scheduled end on May 23 - echoing worries expressed by a number of vulnerable Democrats about sparking a greater surge of migrants at the border. While the White House has said it is "planning and preparing" to overturn the policy next month, an Axios report indicates there are discussions about a delay.
• Foreign Policy will host its 2022 Climate Summit virtually on Wednesday and Thursday. What we're watching: The two-day event will focus on climate change, specifically "how to make up for lost time and achieve global commitments collaboratively, innovatively and inclusively." One of the speakers will be John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate. Kerry's comments will be of interest amid the recent U.S. push to increase domestic oil production, including most recently on public lands, and export more natural gas to countries that are turning away from Russian energy sources as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Two recent interviews: The Washington Post (he hasn't seen "evidence" yet that current climate pledges are reducing emissions enough to keep the goals on track) and Bloomberg Television (Kerry said global reliance on natural gas should be limited to about a decade unless the emissions from the fossil fuel are fully captured).

 
State:

• Governor’s 4th State of the State Address. You can watch a recording on his YouTube channel.  After blasting the legislature over the unemployment insurance debate last week, I found the Governor’s address to be very inclusive, inviting all to work together to advance his legislative priorities – and his vision for the future of Minnesota. He reminded us that “we’re gritty, resilient, strong, and diverse. No matter how divided it may seem at times, we’re still connected.”  And his challenge to the legislature:  “let’s try to lead by the example of these servant leaders [introduced earlier this evening]. We can show our constituents that we can move together. Why don’t we show the rest of the country? All are aching for a lack of chaos, more civility, answers. Show them we have the capacity. We’ll have to compromise on issues we aren’t totally happy about. We don’t compromise on core values; together we can tackle issues.”   
• Six big things that could get done at the Minnesota Legislature: Here’s a look at six big issues that might still get finished — or be seen as the biggest lost opportunities of the 2022 Minnesota Legislature. One of the issues that were brought forth was how to spend the remaining federal ARPA dollars. Note that lack of UI trust fund makes Minnesota an outlier – and not in a good way.   

 
Regional

• Rent control goes into effect in St. Paul on May 1. The comment period on the administration's proposed rules and procedures closed on April 22. The city will publish the final guidelines by April 29.

 
Read more updates in our weekly Chamber Advocacy Update

• Young Professionals has gone regional! Join peers from across the region for a Behind the Scenes visit to the MN Vikings Museum, Apr 26, 4 - 6pm. Please join us!
• Public Safety Update presented by Roseville Business Council on Wed, Apr 27, 7:30 – 8:30am. Please join us!
• Gateways for Growth Virtual Workforce Summit: The St. Paul Area and Minneapolis Regional Chambers, in partnership with the City of St. Paul and the City of Minneapolis, invite you to a conversation focused on the impact of immigrant and refugee residents on the economic, social, and civic life in the Twin Cities. Please join us!
• Our first Chamber Connect is at Momento (formerly Pazzaluna) on Wed, Apr 27, 4 - 6pm. Shifting last year’s virtual “Coffee and Conversations” to be in person, relaxed networking – bringing us together face-to-face!
• Don’t miss the St. Paul Downtown Alliance annual meeting and celebration on Thurs, Apr 28. Come hear the results from the International Downtown Association's downtown vitality study. Register here. ​

• The new world of time management in an age of hybrid work. Get advice from experts on how to approach the day efficiently – and meaningfully.

• The Diversity Institute:  “5 Competencies of Gamechanging DEI Practitioners (whether you have the title or not).  I had to read it, with the leading tagline:  “Be a DEI Gamechanger… because the world has enough players.”  Nice.
• Gateways for Growth Virtual Summit is this week, focused on the impact of immigrant and refugee residents on the economic, social, and civic life in the Twin Cities. See above for details.  Here is an article about the report we published. On a parallel track, DEED is proposing an Office for New Americans.
• Women’s representation on Minnesota corporate boards hits all-time high. 26.6% as of 2021, but we still lag the national average. And BIPOC women hold just 5.6% of board seats, though they make up 21.4% of the U.S. population.

• Home prices have hit a record high in the Twin Cities. The median price is now at $353K in March, a 7.5% increase from a year ago. And the number of homes for sale continues to shrink.
• Commercial real estate update: how are local pros navigating an industry emerging from the pandemic – what is the outlook, and how might rent control affect new development? ​