St. Paul cop's retirement ends 99 years of Schmidt family members serving the department

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - After 30 years, St. Paul police officer Bruce Schmidt officially retired Friday. It wasn’t just for himself, however, it was the end of a family heritage.

Bruce Schmidt’s older brother Tom Schmidt retired from the force in February. Both men followed their father Richard Schmidt, who joined in 1955.

Aug. 28, 1991 was the day before their father retired, and the final chance for the Schmidts to work with him on a full tour on the east side of St. Paul. Their grandfather, William, joined the department in 1936.

Following his older brother Frank who joined in 1919, William worked his way up to assistant chief.

Now, there is no next generation of Schmidts.

There is pride in their history, especially for Bruce, who inherited his father’s badge. Friday, Bruce put out his final radio call signaling the end of tour.