Maureen Smith, left, and Constance Gruen look over notes and flowers near where Philando Castile was fatally shot during a traffic stop by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez in 2017 in Falcon Heights. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Two metro cities are moving toward renewing a police partnership that ended after a St. Anthony police officer fatally shot Black motorist Philando Castile during a 2016 traffic stop in Falcon Heights.

The councils of both cities voted last week to begin negotiating a contract that could see St. Anthony policing Falcon Heights for the first time since 2017, when the communities ended a more than 20-year partnership in the wake of Castile’s killing.

Falcon Heights City Council Member Melanie Leehy said she believes partnering could bring healing to the two cities, which shared a difficult experience when Castile was killed. The debate over whether to remain partners drew on for many months, dividing members of the communities.

Leehy had advocated that the cities stick together after Castile’s killing. “You can’t heal when you’re apart,” she said.

She thanked both cities’ leaders and residents for being willing to have difficult conversations now, acknowledging it was clear during engagement sessions that residents’ opinions even within Falcon Heights and St. Anthony varied on whether the cities should partner again.

Falcon Heights’ vote to begin negotiations was unanimous. The city has been patrolled by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office since 2018. Since 2020, Sheriff Bob Fletcher has urged Falcon Heights to find another option because, he said, his office doesn’t patrol contiguous areas, so deputies must travel long distances at high speeds to respond to emergencies.

Falcon Heights City Administrator Jack Linehan has cited several potential benefits to renewing the partnership. Among them, a more community-oriented policing model, and work the St. Anthony department has done to rebuild itself in the wake of Castile’s killing.

St. Anthony City Council voted 4 to 1 last week to begin negotiations to police Falcon Heights.

Some St. Anthony residents questioned whether renewing the partnership would benefit their city, voicing concern that the quality of service could suffer, and about cost.

St. Anthony City Council Member Thomas Randle, the lone “no” vote, also expressed concern that the city could hire enough officers to cover Falcon Heights and about how St. Anthony’s policing style would mesh with Falcon Heights leadership.

Early estimates put the cost to Falcon Heights at between $1.65 million and $1.8 million in 2026. St. Anthony officials estimate the city would need to add nine positions to police Falcon Heights and suggested it would ask for Falcon Heights’ financial help in upgrading police facilities.

St. Anthony leaders anticipate a contract could be signed in the fall.