HCSHBs702,53,213,216,306&359--LAWENFORCEMENTAGENCIES
SPONSOR: Christ
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonCrimePreventionandPublicSafetybyavoteof20to
4.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
702.
ThisbillspecifiesthatwhenthecityofSt.Louispasses
ordinances,noordinancescaninanymanner,conflictorinterfere
withthepowersoftheBoardofPoliceCommissioners.
Additionally,themayororanycityofficershallnotimpedeor
hindertheBoardofPoliceCommissionersortheyshallbeliable
forapenaltyof$1,000foreachandeveryoffensetohinderthe
Boardandwillforeverbedisqualifiedfromholdingorexercising
anyofficeofthecity.
OnAugust28,2023,theBoardshallassumecontrolofthemunicipal
policedepartmentofSt.Louisand,nolaterthanSeptember28,
2023,theGovernormustappointfourcommissionerstotheBoardwho
shallservetogetherwiththemayor.Themunicipalpolice
departmentwilltransfertitleandownershipofallindebtedness
andassetsandacceptliabilityassuccessor-in-interestfor
contractualobligationofthepolicedepartment.
TheBoardshallinitiallyemploy,withoutreductioninrank,
salary,orbenefits,allcommissionedandcivilianpersonnelofthe
municipalpolicedepartment. TheBoardisrequiredtoappointand
employapermanentpoliceforceconsistingofnotlessthan1,313
patrolmen. TheBoardmaycontinuetoemployasmanynon-
commissionedpoliceciviliansasitdeemsnecessaryinorderto
performthedutiesimposedonthem,whichwillincludecity
marshalsandparkrangers. TheBoardwillgranteverymemberof
thepoliceforceacertainnumberofpaidvacationdaysbasedon
howlongeachmemberhasservedasprovidedinthebill.
Nofurtherappointmentstotherankofmajorwillbemade,butall
membersoftheforcenowholdingtherankofmajorshallcontinue
inthatrankuntiltheirpromotion,demotion,removal,resignation,
orotherseparationfromtheforce.ThesalariespaidasofAugust
28,2023,shallnotbelessthantheannualsalariespaidtoeach
memberbeforetheenactmentofthisbillandannualsalariesshall
increasebynolessthan$4,000byJuly1,2024.Noadditional
compensationshallbegiventoanyofficeroftherankof
lieutenantoraboveforovertime,courttime,orstand-bycourt
time.Probationarypatrolmen,patrolmen,andsergeantsmust receivecompensationforallhoursofserviceinexcessofthe
establishedregularworkingperiod,forallauthorizedovertime,
andforemployeeswhocompleteacademicworkatanaccredited
collegeoruniversityuptoacertainamountasprovidedinthe
bill.Additionally,certainofficersmayreceiveupto10%of
theirsalaryinadditionalcompensationforhoursworkedbetween11
p.m.and7a.m.
Thisbillprovidesthat,untiltheBoardadoptsotherinvestigative
anddisciplinaryprocedures,thepoliceforceshallfollowthe
disciplinaryandinvestigativeproceduresestablishedbythePolice
ManualoftheSt.LouisMetropolitanPoliceDepartmentthatare
consistentwithlaw.TheBoardwillnotadoptanydisciplinary
proceduresthatdonotincludethesummaryhearingBoardprocedures
providedforcurrentlyinthePoliceManual.Thisbillprovides
thatreimbursements fromtheLegalExpenseFundtotheBoardfor
liabilityclaimsmustbeona21equalsharebasisperclaimupto
amaximumof$1millionperfiscalyear.
ThisbillrepealsallprovisionsrelatingtotheMunicipalPolice
ForceestablishedbythecityofSt.Louis.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisisanimportantissueforthe
regionandthestateanditisabovepolitics. Ithasbecomeworse
underlocalcontrol. Downtownhasbecomeaghosttown.Businesses
aregoneandboardsareupanditiseerie.Thisismeantto
restoreordertothecity.Murdershaverisen,crimepercapita
hasrisen,theDepartmenthasbeende-funded.Callsto911have
risentodoublethepopulationofthecity.Cityleadershiphas
protestedindefundthepolicemovements,andtheleadershipis
corrupt. Mostimportantinallofthisisthatpeoplearedying.
Soon,thenumberwilleclipsethenumberofpeoplewhodiedin
9/11.ThebiggestcrimesinSt.Louiscountyarecartheftsby
armedcriminalsandalotofthepeoplecommittingtheoffensesare
comingfromthecityandalotofthemarejuveniles. Puttingit
backunderstatecontrolwouldmeanpersonnelwouldincreaseas
wouldfunding,socrimewoulddecrease. Ithasreachedatipping
pointandcrimeisoutofcontrol. Departmentmoraleis
nonexistent. Officersareleavingindroves.Therearefewerthan
100officersperdistrict. TheDepartmenthaslost23officers
sincethebeginningoftheyear.Businessesareleavingdowntown.
Peoplecomedowntownforagameandtheyleave;theydon’tstay
aroundanymore. Onewitnessworkedinallsortsofareasinthe
cityandhasworkedinvariousunits.Ithastoppledunderlocal
control. Problemswith:gettingpromoted;recruitingand retention;lackofacrimeplan;thecivilianoversightboard--all
ledtolawsuitswiththeBoard.Thecitygavethecircuitattorney
controlovertheuseofforceinvestigations. Forthelast50
yearshomicideshavebeenatanall-timehigh.Inthe'90s,when
itwasunderstatecontrol,theyhitthestreetsandputthebad
guysinjailandhomicidesdecreased. Ifsomethingisn'tdonemore
officerswillquitandtherewillnotbeaDepartmentanymore. The
Departmentishavinganissuewithdispatchers,too.Tobea
dispatcherinSt.LouisCityittakesyou21yearstomakethe
startingsalaryofaSt.LouisCountydispatcher. Liftingthe
residencyrequirementhelpedinitiallywithrecruitmentbutitis
stillreallylowbecausethepayissolow.Thepromotionprocess
forofficerschangedunderlocalcontrol. WorkinStLouison
vehiclerepairshastripledundercurrentlocalcontrol(police
cars,ambulances,etc).Policeofficersareleavingtogotoother
agenciesbecausetheyarenotappreciated. Thereisnofocuson
accountability outsideofholdingpoliceofficersaccountable.
OfficersofSt.LouisMetropolitanPoliceDepartmenttakepridein
theirworkandjustwantappreciationfromthose“above”. State
controlwillgivemoresecurityandmakesureequipmentisfixed
(suchasvehicles;6thdistricthas17carsdown),wantinghigher
pay,andstaffing;the6thdistrictisoneofthelargestareasto
cover.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Christ;Jay
Schroeder,MissouriFOP;DonnyWalters,ESOP;SLPOA;andJoe
Steiger,St.LouisPoliceOfficers'Association.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythattherearechallenges
inthecitybuttheyloveitandfeelsafegoingeverywhereinSt.
Louis.Theyareimpressedwiththebraveryanddedicationofthe
officersofSt.Louis.Onewitnessservedhisentirecareerwhen
theDepartmentwasunderstatecontrolandstatedthatcrimehas
beenanissueinthecityformanyyears.Itdidnotstartwith
localcontrolbutitiscertainlystillanissue.In2008,
homicideswereincreasingrapidly. Somestrategieswereputin
placetokeepitdowntounder200in2008.In2008-2012,
homicideswerereducedtojustbarelyover100andcamefromthe
hardworkingofficers'strategyandleadership. Theywereableto
employofficersintherightwaytokeepcrimedownandused
softwaretodeterminehowtodeployofficersstrategically. They
usedasmuchdataaspossibletoreducecrimeandclose
investigations. Sincethecurrentmayorhasbeeninoffice,not
oncehavetheyprohibitedtheirofficersfrompolicingeffectively.
Themoststrikingchangefromwhenhelefttowhenhecamebackwas
theproliferationofgunsinthecommunity. Juvenilesareableto
walkaroundthecommunitywithgunswithnorepercussions, andthis
hasmadetheirjobmoredifficult. Theopencarryandsuchhas reallybeenhardonthecity.Peoplecomeintothecityfromthe
countiesandcommitcrimes,too.It’snotjustthecitizensofthe
citycommittingthecrimes.Theday-to-daycontroloftheSTLPDis
thepolicechief,andthatisbycharter. TheDirectorofPublic
Safetypicksthechief,andtheDirectoranswerstothemayor,so
thereiscollaborationbetweentheDirectorofPublicSafetyand
themayor.ThebudgetallocationofthePoliceDepartmentwas
stillunderthecontrolofthecityofSt.Louis,notthePolice
Boardwhenitwasunderstatecontrol. TheBoardofAldermenwould
stillhavetoapprovethebudgetproposal. Thesebillsarebad
becausethereisnotimelimitonthiswhereasHB301hasatime
limitonthespecialprosecutor. Here,theStatejustwantsto
takeover.Eventhough,in2012,63.9%ofMissouriansvotedfor
movingthePoliceDepartmenttolocalcontrol.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereProChoiceMissouri;
MalloryRusch,EmpowerMissouri;MarcelHagens,ActionStLouis
PowerProject;DanielIsom,CityofSt.Louis-PublicSafety;and
L.JaredBoyd,St.LouisMayor'sOffice.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.