Title
Recognizing and honoring Chief William Kelso Finney for the naming of the Saint Paul Police Department Western District.
Body
WHEREAS, The Saint Paul Police Department wishes to recognize and honor retired Chief William Kelso Finney by naming the Western District building (389 North Hamline Avenue, Saint Paul) the “William K. Finney Western District;” and
WHEREAS, Chief William K. Finney was born and raised in Saint Paul's historic Rondo neighborhood, graduated from Saint Paul’s Central High School in 1966 and graduated from Mankato State University in 1970, where he also worked as a police reserve officer; and
WHEREAS, he was sworn in as a Saint Paul Police Officer in 1971, and promoted to sergeant, lieutenant, captain and chief, during his tenure; and
WHEREAS, he also served as a patrol officer, investigator, community projects leader, patrol supervisor, director of training and executive officer and team commander for the Central District of the city; and
WHEREAS, in 1992, he became the first African-American in Minnesota history to be appointed as police chief, making him Saint Paul's 38th Chief of Police; and
WHEREAS, he served over 33 years with the Saint Paul Police Department and retired in 2004 after 12 years as chief of police; and
WHEREAS, his professional mantra included the “Four P’s,” which were: Pride, Professionalism, Participation and Productivity; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure, he diversified the department and actively worked to implement community-oriented policing strategies and hired officers that more directly reflected the city’s changing demographics; and
WHEREAS, he is also recognized for his efforts in the hiring and promotion of women to entry-level and meaningful leadership positions within the department, as he placed women in a variety of managerial and supervisory positions, including the promotion of the department's first female homicide unit commander; and
WHEREAS, his efforts improved relations between the police and the community, as he reached out to grassroots community leaders through a variety of collaborative strategies that included the creation of the Chief's Advisory Council, which provided him input and feedback from diverse groups from around the city; and
WHEREAS, he helped draft and implement the anti-racial profiling agreement in 2001, along with the Saint Paul Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), receiving recognition by the United States Department of Justice for a collaborative approach to addressing community concerns; and
WHEREAS, he was elected to the Saint Paul School Board in 1989 and served as an interim board member in 2005.
WHEREAS, he received his Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2005 from Concordia University in Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, he was appointed by the Saint Paul City Council to fill the Ward 7 council seat as an interim council member for 10 months; and
WHEREAS, he is known by his childhood nickname, “Corky,” and he has an appreciation for vintage cars, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and he is an Old West history enthusiast; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Saint Paul honors and recognizes Chief William K. Finney's many accomplishments and dedicated years of public service; and be it further
RESOLVED, the Saint Paul Police Department Western District shall be named the WILLIAM K. FINNEY WESTERN DISTRICT.