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Despite inflammatory headlines and politicians, violent crime in St. Paul and Minneapolis was down in 2023. So where does West St. Paul stand? It’s a mixed bag.
Bottom line: Crime in West St. Paul increased in 2023. But it’s up and down in various categories, and still down from 2021.
Crime Stats in West St. Paul
We talked with West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon and looked at several different categories:
- Homicides: No murders since 2021.
- Assaults: Up 52%, though Sturgeon notes there haven’t been any shootings or stabbings, it’s mostly been fights between people who know each other.
- Shoplifting: Up 133%, though still down from previous years. Sturgeon attributes it to successful work in 2022 to reduce shoplifting and now stores aren’t following police recommendations, either through turnover or some other issue. Trespassing is up 500%, though this is a strategy to reduce shoplifting and Sturgeon noted most of the issues are with two individuals.
- Theft from cars: Down 52%, an encouraging trend after the spike in catalytic converter thefts.
- Fraud: Up 46%. “A lot of scams out there,” Sturgeon said. “Our community is still being victimized—especially our senior citizen communities—by online scams.”
- Weapons: Down 45%, another encouraging trend after some disturbing increases.
- Drugs/DUI: Drug crimes are up 93% and driving under the influence (DUI) are up 33%. Part of this increase is due to a dedicated officer focusing on these issues.
The official NIBRS reporting stats show all serious crime (“group A” offenses, which include homicide, assault, robbery, drugs, etc.) were up 11% in 2023.
“It’s all in the perspective,” Sturgeon said. “If you look at South St. Paul’s assaults, they’re four times as much as ours. They have different issues than we do.”
Development
So what about the influx of apartments? How is development impacting crime?
- Current issues: Sturgeon said there have been issues at 15 Butler Avenue East, the workforce housing building known as Hilltop at Signal Hills.
- It’s manageable: “Do I have concerns? Yes. Can we address those concerns? Absolutely,” Sturgeon said.
- Future projects: Sturgeon said he has concerns any time a new building brings 400 people into the community “[But] we’ll manage it,” Sturgeon said. “That’s what we’re here for.” He said the department works closely with management companies and is proactive to address potential issues.
- Market rate vs. affordable: “If I had to pick from 400 units of low income housing and 400 units of market rate, yeah, I’d pick the market rate,” Sturgeon said. “But it’s up to the community what they want, and I have no say in that. And I don’t need to have any say in that. It’s up to the Council and others to decide what’s best for this community. It’s my job to ensure the public safety of whatever comes here for development.”
Most Dangerous Lists?
West St. Paul frequently ends up on clickbait lists of “most dangerous city in Minnesota,” mostly due to our large retail corridor along Robert Street and that means more shoplifting. Those crimes are reported in the same category as homicide and assault, so it makes West St. Paul appear more dangerous that it really is.
Comparisons can also vary wildly. West St. Paul ranks number eight on this list, but didn’t even make the top 25 on this list.
“Those numbers are so skewed,” Sturgeon said, not wanting to comment further. Anyone who has attended one of the chief’s community meetings knows this is a pet peeve. He did encourage concerned residents to view the crime stats on the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension website.
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