When the St. Paul Police Department was hiring four years ago, 794 people applied to be officers. This time around, there were only 178 applicants and now the department has extended the deadline to Monday, hoping to attract more quality candidates.

Police Chief Todd Axtell said, that in his 28 years as a St. Paul officer, he doesn’t remember a time when there were so few applicants. There has been a decline in applicants in recent years, though, and the police department tried to counter it this time around with heavy recruiting — both on social media and face-to-face in the community, Axtell said.

Axtell attributes the falling numbers to several factors.

“We have a good economy right now with low unemployment and historically, when that recipe exists, there are less people interested in law enforcement,” he said Thursday. “But that isn’t the only factor. There certainly is more anti-cop rhetoric than we’ve observed in years past, which is also something that’s weighing on potential police candidates.”

Axtell also said the police department “continues to slip lower in the rankings in police officer pay in the metro area, which is a challenge to attract the highest quality police officer candidates.”

Starting pay for a St. Paul police officer is about $56,000 a year, but Axtell said the pay for new Minneapolis officers is $7,000 more.

The problem isn’t just with starting pay, according to Dave Titus, who heads the St. Paul police union. He said St. Paul “is one of the lowest-earning departments in the metro.”

Axtell said he’s talked to new Mayor Melvin Carter about the pay issue.

Carter said in a statement Thursday: “Competitive pay for officers is an important part of maintaining a police department that serves our whole community well. I am committed to working closely with Chief Axtell to ensure our department’s starting salary, working conditions and reputation are all attractive for members of our community interested in pursuing a law enforcement career.”

Titus said the new mayor “unfortunately inherited a recruitment and retention problem that’s been growing for the last 10-plus years,” adding that he appreciates Carter’s and Axtell’s recognition of the issue.

The St. Paul police union contract expired Dec. 31 and negotiations are underway for a new contract.

Applications to become a St. Paul officer were due on Wednesday, but the department extended the deadline to 4:30 p.m. Monday. Related Articles St. Paul PD highlights surveillance photos of looting suspects, seeks tips

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“We need the community’s help to spread the word that we’re looking for good, qualified police officers to come serve this city,” said Axtell said, who added that the department has also increased programs for young people, hoping to get them interested in law enforcement in the future.

After the large number of applicants in 2014, the numbers have fallen over the last two rounds of hiring.

In 2016, there were 399 applicants and 246 who made it to the eligible list. Last year, there were 320 applicants and 160 on the eligible list. The applicants are always whittled down because some don’t meet the minimum qualifications, others withdraw from the process, and some don’t pass the exam.

FYI

More information about applying to be a St. Paul officer is available at stpaul.gov/departments/police/step-forward.