HCSHB1481--LAWENFORCEMENTAGENCIES
SPONSOR: Christ
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonCrimePreventionandPublicSafetybyavoteof17to
3.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
1481.
Thisbillspecifiesthat,whenthecityofSt.Louispasses
ordinances,noordinancecaninanymannerconflictorinterfere
withthepowersoftheBoardofPoliceCommissioners.
Additionally,themayororanycityofficershallnotimpedeor
hindertheBoardofPoliceCommissioners. Anysuchpersonwho
forciblyresistsorobstructstheexecutionorenforcementof
provisionsrelatedtotheBoardwillbesubjecttoapenaltyof
$1,000foreachoffenseandwillbeforeverthereafterdisqualified
fromholdingorexercisinganyofficeoremploymentunderthemayor
orcommoncouncilormunicipalassemblyofthecity.
OnAugust28,2024,theBoardshallassumecontrolofthemunicipal
policedepartmentofSt.Louisand,nolaterthanSeptember28,
2024,theGovernormustappointtotheBoardfourcommissioners.
TheBoardmustinitiallyemploy,withoutreductioninrank,salary,
orbenefits,allcommissionedandcivilianpersonnelofthe
municipalpolicedepartment. TheBoardisrequiredtoappointand
employapermanentpoliceforceconsistingofnotlessthan1,313
patrolmen. TheBoardmaycontinuetoemployasmanynon-
commissionedpoliceciviliansasitdeemsnecessaryinorderto
performthedutiesimposedonthem,whichwillincludecity
marshalsandparkrangers. TheBoardwillgranteverymemberof
thepoliceforceacertainnumberofpaidvacationdaysbasedon
howlongeachmemberhasservedasprovidedinthebill.
Thebillspecifiesthatthemaximumnumberofofficersofvarying
ranksthepoliceforcecanhave.ThesalariespaidasofAugust
28,2024,shallnotbelessthantheannualsalariespaidtoeach
memberbeforetheenactmentofthisbill.Noadditional
compensationwillbegiventoanyofficeroftherankoflieutenant
oraboveforovertime,courttime,orstand-bycourttime.
Probationarypatrolmen,patrolmen,andsergeantsmustreceive
compensationforallhoursofserviceinexcessoftheestablished
regularworkingperiod,forallauthorizedovertime,andfor
employeeswhocompleteacademicworkatanaccreditedcollegeor
universityuptoacertainamountasprovidedinthebill.
Additionally,certainofficersmayreceiveupto10%oftheir salaryinadditionalcompensationforhoursworkedbetween11p.m.
and7a.m.Suchofficersmaycurrentlyreceiveupto5%oftheir
salaryasadditionalcompensation.
Thisbillprovidesthat,untiltheBoardadoptsotherinvestigative
anddisciplinaryprocedures,thepoliceforceshallfollowthe
disciplinaryandinvestigativeproceduresestablishedbythePolice
ManualoftheSt.LouisMetropolitanPoliceDepartmentthatare
consistentwithlaw.TheBoardwillnotadoptanydisciplinary
proceduresthatdonotincludethesummaryhearingBoardprocedures
providedforcurrentlyinthePoliceManual.Thisbillprovides
thatreimbursements fromtheLegalExpenseFundtotheBoardfor
liabilityclaimsmustbeona21equalsharebasisperclaimupto
amaximumof$1millionperfiscalyear.
ThisbillissimilartoHCSHB702(2023).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisistocreateabetter
foundationfortheSt.LouisPoliceDepartmenttoprotectacity
thathasbeendecimatedbycrime.Thiswouldreplacethecurrent
localboardwithaboardofpolicecommissioners, andthose
appointedtotheboardwillbelocalcitizensandthemayor.This
willactuallygivethecitymorecontrolthanithaseverhad.A
policedepartmentshouldneverridethependulumofpolitics.
TherewasawindfallofmoneyfromtheRamsandotherthingsand
noneofthemoneywassetasideforthepolicedepartmentbudget.
Theofficersinthedepartmentdonotfeelliketheyhavethe
supportoftheirdepartmentandtheydonotfeelliketheyhavethe
resourcestheyneedtodotheirjobs.Themanpowerandmoralein
thepolicedepartmentisatanall-timelow.Thebureaucracyis
destroyingthedepartment,makingeverythingdifficultatevery
turn.Noneofthishappenedwhentheywereunderstatecontrol.
Thingsthatneededtogetpaidgotpaid,thingsthatneededtoget
fixedgotfixed.CrimeisupinJacksonCountyandtheissuethere
istheyhaveaprosecutorproblem. St.Louisgotanewprosecutor
andnowhomicideshavedroppedsharply. Supporterssaythatinher
firstweek,themayorofthecityofSt.Louiscutfundingtothe
policedepartment. Theboardofaldermenputitbackbutthemayor
refusedtospenditand125patroljobswerecutalsoinherfirst
week.Divertingfundsfromthepolicedepartmentisalso
consideredde-funding. Thelocalcontroltransferwasnevermeant
tobeapermanentsolution,itwasconditionalonthecityturning
thingsaroundbutthathasn’thappened. Thereiscurrentlyacase
thatcouldtake$50millionayearfromthecityofSt.Louisand thepresidentoftheboardofaldermensaidthatifthathappens,
thatmoneywillcomeoutofthepatrol’sbudget.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Christ;
DonnellWalters,EthicalSocietyofPolice;JaneDuker;Missouri
PoliceChiefsAssociation;andJaySchroeder,SLPOA.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythat,atatimelike
this,steadyleadershipisimportantforapolicedepartment. The
cityhiredanoutsidechiefbecauseitrecognizedthatitneeded
changeandimprovementanditwantedfresheyesonthedepartment.
Othercitiesinotherstateshavehadsuccessunderlocalcontrol
andthatcanhappeninSt.Louis,itjusttakesalotofworkand
effort.ThecitywasaffectedbyFerguson,GeorgeFloyd,the
pandemic,andotherthings.Butthecityiscomingoutofitand
itismakingimprovements. Manystatisticshaveimprovedsothe
hopeisthatthenewpolicechiefwillgetachancetomakechanges
beforetheefforttotransferthedepartmenttostatecontrol
resumes. Therearemanyeffortsunderwaytoincreasemoraleand
recruitment. Thecitystillhasitschallengesbutitsawlast
yeara21%declineinhomicidesandthereareothertypesof
offensesthathavealsodecreased. Thepolicedepartmentmakesup
aboutathirdofthegeneralbudgetinthecitybutthatisnotthe
onlytypeofinvestmentmadeintothedepartment. Thechiefworks
withthemayorandthemayorhasempoweredthechieftodohisjob.
Itisnotthestate’smoneyatissue;it’stheresidents’money.
It’simportanttoinvestinthingsinthecity,notjustpatrol
positions. Theboardwillbestatecontrolledevenifithas
residentsofthecityonit,becausethosepeoplewillbeanswering
totheGovernor. Itisimportanttolettheresidentsandthe
policedepartmentgovernthemselvesbecausetheyarecapable.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereEmpowerMo;RobertJ.
Tracy,St.LouisMetropolitanPolice;MoStateNAACP;KeithRose;
andL.JaredBoyd,CityofSt.LouisMayor'sOffice.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.