St. Paul efforts to build security force for convention hit a few snags

With six weeks to go before the Republican National Convention, St. Paul police still are building the security force for the four-day event -- one that officials are hoping will total at least 3,000 officers, a spokesman said this week.

As of Friday afternoon, agreements were in place for 1,809 officers, including 500 from St. Paul, according to a list provided by spokesman Tom Walsh. But he said other commitments now being finalized would put the number of officers being banked on thus far at 2,927.

To help fill law enforcement needs ranging from the monitoring of transportation routes to security within the Xcel Energy Center, the city is seeking to borrow officers from outside agencies -- at time and a half in pay, according to the joint powers agreements between the city of St. Paul and the other city, county and state entities.

The ongoing efforts to build the force come as Dave Titus, president of the St. Paul Police Federation, suggests that 3,000 officers may be inadequate and as officials from at least two other government units worry that a $10 million cap on liability coverage could put taxpayers at risk if the costs of any lawsuits exceeded that amount.

Last year, when St. Paul surveyed agencies to gauge their interest in providing officers, the department said early estimates called for 4,000 officers above what the city typically needs for police calls and patrols -- a number that Titus hopes the city still pursues.

Walsh said that while efforts to enlist more help will continue, the early estimates "were just that -- early estimates. And I think they were excessive." He said police would be comfortable with 3,000 officers and sitting pretty with 3,500.

Titus also questioned how the city could include within its current 2,927-officer projection the addition of 117 mutual-aid officers. In his view, he said, the 117 officers would be additional help summoned "if things go badly," not personnel regularly assigned to the RNC.

Walsh, however, said that officers made available through mutual-aid agreements do not simply react to catastrophes, such as the I-35W bridge collapse, but also have been used to provide security for events such as the Super Bowl.

The Carver County Sheriff's Office has been one of the few agencies to opt out of the joint powers agreement, citing concerns about workers' compensation and about the $10 million insurance cap. Chief Deputy Bob VanDenBroeke said earlier this week that the decision not to participate "was not made lightly."

But county officials, he said, were worried about exposing taxpayers to additional liability.

Said Walsh, "I just don't think that's a valid concern." In previous convention-related lawsuits, he said, the highest settlement was $600,000. In his view, he added, "it's just not likely that anyone is going to be exposed to that kind of damage."

Oak Park Heights, which has nine sworn officers, also has opted out of the joint powers agreement because of concerns about liability coverage.

Assignments being set

Plans for the deployment of officers call for those who come from outstate to help with the transportation system or with providing security inside the Xcel Energy Center. They are to be trained when they arrive, Walsh said.

Officers who are to be involved in crowd control all will come from local agencies, he added, and have been training as a mobile field force.

St. Paul is reimbursing the agencies for their officers' time by using part of a $50 million federal grant. The officers, in turn, will be paid by their own departments.

The agreements negotiated thus far have include commitments for as few as two officers from Aitkin, Minn., to as many as 550 from the Minneapolis Police Department, although both of those deals still await city approval.

Aitkin Police Chief Terry Thompson said that his department's interest is in "helping out other departments when they need help. Law enforcement is law enforcement. It's all about teamwork."

Officer projections do not include the Secret Service, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms or other federal agencies. Said Walsh, "We don't do joint powers agreements with federal agencies."

St. Paul police will not leave its neighborhoods bereft, he added. About 100 of the city's 600 officers will patrol the neighborhoods -- coverage he says is consistent with day-to-day operations, and made possible by the temporary reassignment of officers to 12-hour shifts.

alonetree@startribune.com • 651-298-1545 ppheifer@startribune.com • 651-298-1551