St. Paul police to hold meeting about child safety following May abduction

The St. Paul Police Department is hosting a community meeting on Wednesday night to focus on children's safety.

The meeting is an attempt to address the police response to an abduction and assault of a 7-year-old girl in the city's Cathedral Hill neighborhood in May.

Some neighbors have criticized the police for not acting on earlier tips that the man who assaulted the girl was acting suspiciously.

The girl was with her father at a rental property on the 300 block of Dayton Avenue when she was abducted and assaulted. August James Ruthaferd, who was known as Mark Scott Meihofer before he legally changed his name in 2015, was charged with kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

In August, a judge declared Ruthaferd incompetent to stand trial and ordered the civil commitment process to begin.

Police say Wednesday's meeting will look at ways to improve communication between police, residents and community organizations. It will also include details of the city's new public safety notification system and the department's plans to upgrade its records system.

The community meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. at Saint Paul College.