Assistant chief Kathy Wuorinen will serve as the interim chief of the St. Paul Police Department until a committee finds a replacement. Photo courtesy of the St. Paul Police Department.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - Mayor Chris Coleman appointed Kathy Wuorinen as the first woman to lead the St. Paul Police Department. Wuorinen will serve as the interim chief after current Chief Tom Smith retires later this spring.
Wuorinen, a St. Paul native, currently serves as the assistant chief of support services and administration for the department. She will serve as the chief while officials work to find a permanent replacement for Smith.
Wuorinen began her law enforcement career with the Ramsey County sheriff’s office in1985 before joining the St. Paul Police Department in 1988. Since then, she has moved through the ranks from officer to sergeant to commander to her current role as an assistant chief.
"[Wuorinen's] history with the department and her strong leadership make her more than qualified to step into the interim role as we continue our search for a new police chief," Coleman said in a statement.