By Anne Holzman

Nearly a decade after a St. Anthony police officer fatally shot Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, the two cities will resume their shared policing under a new arrangement that will also help St. Anthony finance updated headquarters for their force.

         At their respective council meetings on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23, St. Anthony Village and Falcon Heights directed their staff to finalize a contract under which limited patrols and 24/7 call service will begin March 1, 2025, ramping up to full community policing starting Jan. 1, 2026.

         The limited service in 2025 will allow St. Anthony to hire more officers and reconfigure its staffing to accommodate the new duties. The Falcon Heights City Council also authorized its staff to extend the current contract with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office to supply policing services through Feb. 28, 2025, as the current contract ends Dec. 31.

         The City of Lauderdale also receives police services from St. Anthony Village and recently renewed its contract for 2025 only, so that the three cities can work out a shared agreement going forward.

         Falcon Heights City Administrator Jack Linehan said contract details with St. Anthony have yet to be finalized, but the budget for 2025 will reflect the more limited services. Once details are settled, staff will ask the council to approve the final contract.

         In a brief discussion before unanimously adopting the measure to move forward, Falcon Heights council members thanked staff and community members in both cities who have devoted many hours of meetings to reaching the agreement. Each spoke in turn about their relief at having settled the matter.

         “I’m optimistic about this partnership moving forward,” council member Eric Meyer said, “and I’m honored to have played a small part in it.”

Anne Holzman is a Twin Cities freelance writer who covers Falcon Heights government news for the Bugle.