Promises of police review also raise a few questions

Officials created some confusion over the exact nature of what will be up for study after the GOP convention.

By RANDY FURST and ANTHONY LONETREE, Star Tribune staff writers

Last update: September 8, 2008 - 9:21 PM

Print this story

Follow local news on Twitter

More from St. Paul

St. Paul authorities will review how they handled the Republican National Convention, including the activities of police, but it's not yet clear what form the review will take.

"It is the largest event that has ever taken place in St. Paul," said Bob Hume, spokesman for Mayor Chris Coleman. "We're going to look at it. We are working through the details of what that [the review] will look like right now."

There was some confusion Monday after news reports by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and the Associated Press said authorities in St. Paul and Minneapolis planned a "formal review" of police tactics.

One basis for the stories was an interview Friday with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. In a transcript of the interview, provided by MPR, Rybak was asked whether there would be a formal review. Rybak said, "Yes." But Jeremy Hanson, Rybak's spokesman, said Monday that the mayor did not announce a "formal review," but said there would be a review of how police handled the protests.

Police have been accused of unnecessary arrests, using excessive force and excessive use of chemical irritants.

Assistant St. Paul Police Chief Matt Bostrom, however, said officers were patient in their dealings with protesters and made arrests when appropriate: "People worked hard to get arrested," he said. "It didn't just happen."

The department has yet to firm up plans for a review. But St. Paul police Cmdr. Doug Holtz said that such an analysis -- known as an "after-action report" -- is done following most special events.

The RNC review could be more comprehensive, he said, because 17 subcommittees were involved in convention security. But Holtz was clear about his take on the police performance: "We're getting an incredible amount of support, and rightly so," he said. "We did it pretty much textbook."

alonetree@startribune.com • 651-298-1545 rfurst@startribune.com • 612-673-7382