Eddie Frizell
Chief of Police
eddie.frizell@transitpd.org
Eddie Frizell was sworn in as the Metro Transit Police Department’s eighth police chief in August 2019. Before leading the Metro Transit Police Department, Frizell spent 26 years with the Minneapolis Police Department. During his time with the Minneapolis Police Department, Frizell served as the inspector of the First Precinct, deputy chief of police, as a SWAT negotiator and as an internal affairs investigator. He is also a 30-year veteran of the Minnesota Army National Guard, including two overseas deployments to Bosnia and Kuwait/Iraq. He currently holds the rank of Colonel. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa and the U.S. Army War College. In addition to his son, Frizell and his wife have a son and two adult daughters.
Captain Rick Grates
East Command
Capt. Grates leads MTPD’s East Command, overseeing a team of 32 full-time police officers who primarily serve St. Paul and surrounding communities east of the Mississippi River. Grates joined Metro Transit in 2005 and has served as a patrol officer, investigator, Sergeant and Lieutenant, primarily in the east metro. Prior to joining Metro Transit, Grates spent a decade as a patrol officer in the City of Litchfield.
Captain Anthony Hines
West Command
Cpt. Hines leads MTPD’s West Command and is responsible for overseeing more than half of the department's officers. West Command's patrol area includes Northstar Commuter Rail, the METRO Blue Line and the transit system west of the Mississippi River, encompassing major venues like Mall of America, Target Field, U.S. Bank Stadium and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Hines, who is a 20-year law enforcement veteran, is also MTPD’s trainer of field training officers and serves on the department’s strategic planning and labor management committees.
Lieutenant Steven Bakeberg
Administration and Support Services
Steven Bakeberg is acting Deputy Chief for the Administrative and Support Services Division. He is responsible for the operational and capital budgets, grant writing and grant project management, Homeland Security initiatives, professional standards and training, recruitment, hiring and background checks, property and evidence unit, procurement, payroll administration, business technology, records unit and asset protection. He also has primary responsibility for participation in the completion of the new MTPD headquarters in Minneapolis and coordinating the departments relocation into the new building in 2019.
Lieutenant Troy Schmitz
Investigations
Lt. Schmitz is acting Deputy Chief, operations. His responsibilities include supervision of patrol operations, the investigations unit, the Homeless Action Team (HAT), crash reconstruction, juvenile investigations and the Transit Crimes Unit (TCU). The Investigations Unit is responsible for investigating any criminal matters occurring on Metro Transit property. The Juvenile Investigations Unit and Juvenile Outreach team work together to investigate juvenile crimes with an emphasis on diversion and intervention. TCU is a plainclothes unit responsible for addressing quality-of-life crimes and responding to emerging crime trends with pro-active patrolling. The HAT Team is a dedicated group of officers who spend their nights helping people in need. They have two paratransit buses, including one with a wheelchair lift, to transport people to emergency shelters and a new Ramsey County facility which reserves some spaces only for people brought by Transit Police.
Gwen DeGroff-Gunter
Juvenile Outreach Coordinator
DeGroff-Gunter is a 20-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department, who retired as a lieutenant in 2012. As MTPD’s juvenile outreach coordinator, DeGroff-Gunter collaborates with metro area schools, other police departments and community partners to coordinate and plan special events where youth and police can connect in a non-enforcement environment. She is also the coordinator for the department’s Juvenile Diversion Program which serves as an alternative to the criminal justice system for lower level offenders. MTPD’s juvenile outreach program also provides mentorship to youth who are interested in becoming police officers by hosting forums where youth and officers can have candid conversations about community policing.
Sergeant Joe Dotseth
Internal Affairs and Inspections Unit
Sgt. Dotseth runs the MTPD's Internal Affairs and Inspections Unit (IAU), which is dedicated to ensuring that the relationship between the department and the community is built upon trust and transparency. The IAU investigates complaints of misconduct and violations of department policy and conducts routine inspections of department functions. These inspections ensure that standard operational functions are being performed at acceptable levels.