For the first time in more than 17 years, there’s a new president of the St. Paul police union.

Members elected Officer Paul Kuntz to lead the St. Paul Police Federation and he was sworn in Tuesday. Dave Titus, who was the president since 2001, went to work at the Ramsey County sheriff’s office on Monday as an inspector.

An election was scheduled before Titus took the Ramsey County position, marking the first time that someone challenged him since he became president.

Sgt. Matt Koncar was running against Titus for president. With Titus’ impending departure, it turned into a race between Kuntz and Koncar.

Koncar said a big factor in his decision to run was his disagreement with police federation criticism of Melvin Carter, then a St. Paul mayoral candidate, in October 2017. Carter went on to become mayor.

The federation questioned why Carter did not provide serial numbers from two handguns that were stolen from his Summit-University home in August 2017. Carter’s campaign called it a “racist attack” and then-Mayor Chris Coleman called on the union board to step down, which they did not.

Titus and Carter did not meet during his first year as mayor. Kuntz said Wednesday he would like to meet with Carter and will try to do so.

The federation has 650 members and 440 voted in the election, said attorney Chris Wachtler, who represents the union. Kuntz said he won by nearly a three-to-one margin.

Kuntz has been a St. Paul officer for 20 years and was most recently assigned to the downtown beat. He was the federation’s secretary and the vice president-elect before he was nominated for president in December.

“Knowing that Dave was leaving, I knew this organization needed a leader that had some knowledge and experience and I felt I would fit that bill,” Kuntz said.