St. Paul taps assistant police chief to head force

St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman on Monday said he's chosen veteran police commander Todd Axtell as the next St. Paul police chief.

Axtell had been the assistant chief for operations under his predecessor Tom Smith, overseeing some of the department's largest operations since 2013. He was among five finalists named by a 32-member search committee last month to replace Smith.

A St. Paul police officer since 1989, Axtell has also commanded two of the city's three patrol districts, as well as specialized units such as vice, narcotics and support services. He also served as the executive officer to former chief Bill Finney during his second term.

Smith retired this spring. Coleman said he was looking for command presence, community connections and compassion in new chief, so he selected Axtell.

Axtell is already well known in the community for his work outside the department. he's on the board of the YWCA and Visit St. Paul, the city's convention and visitor's bureau.

He's also been on the board at Public Art St. Paul, the Midway Chamber of Commerce and Breaking Free, an organization dedicated to fighting sex trafficking.