Representative Angie Craig’s Legislation to Rename Local Post Office After Fallen South St. Paul Police Officer Signed into Law
The South St. Paul Post Office will be named after Leo Pavlak, the only South St. Paul Police Officer to have been killed in the line of duty
WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Angie Craig’s bill to rename the South St. Paul Post Office in honor of fallen South St. Paul Police Officer Leo Pavlak was signed into law. After only four months on the force, Officer Pavlak was killed by the infamous Barker-Karpis Gang during a robbery on August 30, 1933. To this day, he is the only South St. Paul Police Officer to have been killed in the line of duty. The bill was passed by the House and Senate earlier this month.
“In 1933, Officer Pavlak lost his life in service to his community – and in the years since, many of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren have continued building his legacy as they joined the ranks of the Minnesota law enforcement community,” said Representative Craig. “By renaming the South St. Paul Post Office the Officer Leo Pavlak Post Office, we remember and honor the dedication and sacrifice of Officer Pavlak and his entire family. I’m grateful to all my Minnesota colleagues, and especially Senator Klobuchar, who helped get this bill over the finish line.”
Since Officer Pavlak’s death in 1933, four generations of Pavlaks have joined the ranks of Minnesota law enforcement. Robert Leo Pavlak Sr. followed in his father’s footsteps, pursuing a career as a police officer in St. Paul. One of his grandsons, Robert, was a Ramsey County Deputy – while another one of his grandsons, David, was a St. Paul Police Officer. And finally, Officer Pavlak’s great-grandsons, Luke and Ryan, have continued this legacy as police officers in the Twin Cities area.
Representative Craig’s bill is part of a bipartisan, bicameral effort to honor Officer Pavlak. Earlier this month, Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith led the passage of a companion bill through the Senate. The legislation is supported by Representatives Dean Phillips, Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar, Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach, Brad Finstad and Pete Stauber, as well as the Pavlak family and local leaders in South St. Paul.
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