june 3, 2025
Sergeant Samantha Mancheski is a Saint Paul Police Officer. She told me, “I am assigned to the Downtown Beat afternoon shift. Downtown Beat is a unit within our Police Department that is responsible for calls for service within the downtown area. Our office is in the Securian Building. As a Sergeant, I manage Officers. My priority is to ensure the police officers I am responsible for are safe, healthy and have what they need to be able to respond effectively for calls for service within the Downtown area.”
Sergeant Mancheski continues,
"I have never lived in Downtown. However, I have never lived too far away from Downtown, as I was born and raised here in the City of Saint Paul. I still live in the city. As a child, I have memories as a kid staying at the Radisson Hotel which is now the Intercontinental. I also remember walking through Kellogg Park. It all seemed so big and busy when I was a child.
I also have fond memories of going to the Central Library. Going to the Farmer's Market early on a Saturday morning to get a bagel sandwich and a fresh squeezed lemonade. The Farmer’s Market is still as busy as I remember. The scent of the Saint Paul Farmers market brings me back to childhood. Working in Downtown I get to contribute so others can make great memories in Downtown and feel connected."
“I love the history of downtown Saint Paul; there is a picture in the Downtown Beat office of 7th St and Wabasha St circa 1890. It is a good reminder of how long the streets of Saint Paul have been in existence and to be thankful we get to be a part of their history.”
I asked Sergeant Mancheski how Downtown Saint Paul can be better. Mancheski thoughtfully replied, "Downtown can be better with a clear plan and goals of what the city wants Downtown to be. Clear directions and goals provide the community something to invest in. Right now, we all want the revitalization of Downtown. What does that look like? Having a blueprint for the future of Downtown will make it easier to see the direction of where it is going. Having goals to reach for the revitalization of Downtown provides hope, to know we are not where we want to be yet, but we know exactly where we are going."
"Future Downtown looks vibrant and bustling with many businesses and residents. My current role in Downtown is providing a safe and welcoming environment for everyone to enjoy all that Downtown has to offer. When people are coming to see a show at one of the theaters, visiting the Children’s Museum or riding a bike on one of our bike lanes we want people to feel safe, and the police department will continue to do what we can to provide a safe environment."
Sergeant Mancheski's deep love of Downtown Saint Paul is so evident throughout her entire questionnaire, and especially comes through when I asked her what she loves about it.
"I enjoy so much of Downtown it is hard to choose a favorite. I have fond memories of the Central Library, and I still pick up my books there. Getting books from the library now is a lot different than when you had to go look on a shelf for a book. I still enjoy going to the Farmer's Market as it is nostalgic for me like the library. Riding my bicycle to a Saints game during the summer makes me feel like I am living my best city life.
I also love coming to work at the Downtown Beat office as it is in the Securian Building- it makes me feel like I work in corporate America. I also enjoy walking the skyways to take in the history of what it may have been like when the buildings weren’t so vacant. My favorite place to eat downtown is The Bulldog as they have good food and service."
Thank you, Sergeant Samantha Mancheski for sharing your Saint Paul story with me. We're all connected by a thread🧵❤️