HCSHB2432--BOARDOFPOLICECOMMISSIONERS
SPONSOR: Roden
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonPublicSafetybyavoteof5to2.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
2432.
Thisbillcreatesthe"PoliceDefundingControlActof2022",which
allowstheCityofSt.Louis'scommoncouncilormunicipalassembly
topasscertainordinancesbutsuchordinancescannotconflictor
interferewiththepowersoftheBoardsofPoliceCommissioners.
Thecityoranyofitsofficersandagentsandthemayoralso
cannotimpede,obstruct,hinder,orinterferewiththeBoardsof
Policeoranyofficer.
Thebillalsoprovidesthat,onAugust1,2022,theBoardofPolice
Commissionersshallassumecontrolofanymunicipalpoliceforce
establishedinanycitynotwithinacounty,which,atthistime,
isonlySt.LouisCity.Uponsuchassumptionanymunicipalpolice
forcewithinSt.LouisCityshallconvey,assign,orotherwise
transfertotheBoardtitleandownershipofalldebtsandassets,
andthestateshallacceptresponsibility, ownership,andliability
assuccessor-in-interestforcontractualobligations,debts,and
otherlawfulobligationsofthemunicipalpoliceforcesestablished
inSt.LouisCity.
ThebillprovidesthattheBoardwillemploy,withoutchangeinpay
orbenefits,allcommissionedandcivilianpersonnelwhowere
employedbythemunicipalpolicedepartmentpriortothedatethe
Boardassumedcontrol. Thisbillspecifiestherightsandbenefits
affordedsuchpersonnel,aswellasthosewhoretirefromservice
beforetheBoardassumescontrol.
Currently,theBoardofTrustees,inwhichthegeneral
administration andresponsibility ofproperoperationofthe
retirementsystemisvested,iscomposedofninemembers. This
billincreasesthenumberoftrusteesto10byaddingthepresident
oftheBoardofPoliceCommissionersofthecityasanexofficio
memberoftheBoardofTrustees. Thebillalsoincreasesthe
numberoftrusteesappointedbythemayorofthecityfromtwo
memberstothreeandreducestheretiredmembersfromthreetotwo
members.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill. PROPONENTS: SupporterssaythatthiswouldgivecontrolofSt.
LouisPoliceDepartmentbacktotheBoardofPoliceCommissioners.
Sincethepolicedepartmenthasbeenputbackunderlocalcontrol,
therehasbeenasignificantincreaseincrime.Oneofthe
concernsthatwasbroughtupwasconcernaboutpensions,soa
substitutewillbeofferedtocorrectthoseissues.Thepopulation
ofthecityofSt.Louishascontinuedtodecreasebutcrimehas
continuedtoincrease. Statisticalnumberscanbemanipulated.
1700murdersinthecityofSt.Louissincethepolicedepartment
wentunderlocalcontrol.Thepolicedepartmentdoesnothavea
crimeplan.Theofficersgooutonthestreetsandthereisno
planfromthedepartmentorthecity.Themayorimmediatelycut$5
millionfromthedepartmentandcut98policeofficers. Returning
thistothestatewouldimprovecohesivenessandprovidesome
necessaryleadership. Itisnotjustadultssellingdrugsor
gettingkilled;childrenaregettingmurderedinthestreetsofthe
cityofSt.Louisandithasneverbeenlikethis.Therewasa
timewherepeoplewithCOVIDwerenottakenintothejailandit
wasajailpolicyandalocalpolicy.Itisaveryprecarious
situationandweneedtotakeactionwithrespecttothecity.
TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative Roden;AndrewPolacek,
St.LouisFriendsofSmallBusiness;FreedomPrinciplesSt.Louis;
JaySchroeder,StLouisPoliceOfficersAssociation;StLouis
CountyPoliceAssociation;JaneDueker,JaneDoe(CrimeVictim);
andArnieC.Dienoff.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatcrimehasgoneup
anddownanditisnotdirectlyrelatedtostateorlocalcontrol.
Thecitydoeshaveacrimeplan.Crimeisincrediblyhighbutthey
areontherighttrajectorysincethenumbersaredecreasing. The
mayorofthecityshouldhavecontrolofthelocalpolice
department. Themayorisdulyelectedbytheresidentssoifthey
donotlikethepublicsafetytheyarereceiving,theycanvotethe
personout.Thedirectlinetothepolicedepartmentisnot
availableunderstatecontrol. Visibilityisadeterrent,sothat
isafocustogetcrimetodecrease. Thepayforeveryoneinthe
cityofSt.Louisneedstobeincreased. Thatwouldhelpmorale.
Samewithaddressingtheemotionalhealthofofficerstodealwith
thetraumaandstress.Officersinthecommunitywillfeelsafer
iftheycanbringcrimedownagaintothenumbersin2013.Any
timewelookatnumbersincrimeinSt.Louiscitytheyaregoing
tobeskewedbecausetheyaretheonlycitythatisseparatedfrom
itscounty.Soitneedstobelookedasawholewithcityand
county.Povertyandcrimeareintricatelyconnected.
TestifyingagainstthebillwereMaryClaireSorensen;Mary Schuman;RuthEhresman,Women'sVoicesRaisedForSocialJustice;
MalloryRusch,EmpowerMissouri;ScottMcKellar;DanielIson,City
OfStLouis;ProChoiceMissouri;VictoriaGodfrey-Zeller;and
MarcelHagens.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaytheissuedoesnotdeal
withretirement.
TestifyingonthebillwasJohnBardgett,StLouisPolice
RetirementSystem.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.