St. Paul Police Chief on crime, current police staffing
St. Paul PD Chief Axel Henry full interview
St. Paul Police Department Chief Axel Henry spoke with FOX 9's Amy Hockert on All Day Live to discuss the state of crime in the city, and where the department stands on staffing currently.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry sat down with FOX 9 All Day to talk about the current state of crime in the state's capitol city and the city's plan for recruiting more police officers.
Here are highlights from what he had to say (watch the full interview in the player at the top of the page).
St. Paul crime
St. Paul’s crime is currently declining: Chief
St. Paul Police Department Chief Axel Henry says he has seen several changes throughout the city in recent years, including a decrease in crime under his tenure so far.
Big picture view:
In November 2024, St. Paul leaders addressed community members regarding a recent stretch of violent crime that saw nine homicides during the two months prior.
Henry spoke with All Day about the city's effort to curb crime, saying in part, "The big, scary categories – from carjackings to homicides – are all going down… We’re happy with the trends. We saw a big increase in crime in 2018 and 2019, and stayed up, but have now reduced multiple years in a row.
"But it’s kind of like gaining 100 pounds, then losing 30 [pounds] and everyone celebrating. But you’re still 70 pounds overweight. But we’re reducing [crime] in the areas we want to.
"Contrary to popular belief, police departments don’t make communities safe. We’re a part of the community, and it’s the community that makes itself safe. We have to operate in concert with one another to make that partnership successful."
Watch the interview segment above.
St. Paul Police Department staffing
St. Paul police staffing down, but a ‘commitment’
St. Paul Police Department Chief Axel Henry says that despite its officer strength being down 18%, the city is committed to providing residents with reliable services as it works to increase its rank.
By the numbers:
Following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, police departments around the nation have faced an uphill battle recruiting officers to fill vacant positions.
In late 2024, the Minneapolis Police Department launched an aggressive ad campaign to attract more officers to its city.
Meanwhile, Henry says the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) is actively looking to increase its recruitment of officers.
"We're not as bad as Minneapolis, but we have a shortage and are down about 18% [of staffed officers]," Henry told FOX 9. We’re working on those numbers, and I’m very proud of the work that’s been done around that. We have staffing minimums, and we’re committed to that, and that’s created an expense… We’re buying back a shortage of labor through overtime, but we’re confident we can get those numbers up."
Watch the interview segment above.
Who is Axel Henry?
St. Paul Police chief: Axel Henry is mayor's pick to lead department
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter revealed Commander Axel Henry is his choice to lead the St. Paul Police Department as the next chief. Henry, who is part of the narcotics, financial intelligence, and human trafficking division, started with the St. Paul Police Department in 1998.
Dig deeper:
A longtime Minnesota police officer prior to being appointed by St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Henry was appointed to a six-year term in November 2022.
According to his bio, Henry became a uniformed officer for the Roseville Police Department in 1995 and joined the SPPD in 1998. He currently serves as commander for the Narcotics, Financial Intelligence, and Human Trafficking Division. Henry received his bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting, and master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of St. Thomas.
At the time of his appointment, Henry said an immediate goal for the department would be to engage the entire community in solving crime through increased partnerships.
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