HB 2117 -- CITY OF ST. LOUIS POLICE FORCE

SPONSOR:  El-Amin

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
Urban Issues by a vote of 5 to 1.

This bill allows the City of St. Louis to establish by ordinance
a municipal police force completely under the city's authority.
Currently, the state oversees the police force for the city
through the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2009, FY 2010, and
FY 2011.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say the bill will allow the people of St.
Louis to have their own police department for the first time
since the Civil War.  St. Louis is one of the few cities in the
United States without their own police department.  There is no
rational explanation for the fact that every other county and
municipality in the state has its own police department.

Testifying for the bill were Representatives El-Amin and Oxford
and Senator Coleman; Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis City; Terry
Kennedy, St. Louis City Alderman; Redditt Hudson, American Civil
Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri; Stephan Gregali, St. Louis
Alderman; Zacki Baruti, Universal African Peoples Organization;
Lewis Reed, St. Louis City Board of Alderman; Jennifer A.
Florida, St. Louis City Alderwoman; John Chasnoff; and Jamala
Rogers, Organization for Black Struggle.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say it gives no details or
specifics to ensure this transition to local control is done
properly.  The bill as written will allow too much interference
by the Board of Aldermen into the department and makes the St.
Louis Police Department too political so that it will lose its
independence.  Health insurance and other pension benefits are
not specified or guaranteed in the bill for retirees.

Testifying against the bill were Gary Wiegert, St. Louis Police
Officers Association; Police Retirement System of St. Louis; Judy
Zakibe, St. Louis Republican Central Committee; Matthew Browing;
St. Louis Police Leadership Organization; David Summers; Lucille
Elson, Civilian Personnel Division; Missouri State Fraternal
Order of Police; St. Louis Police Officers Association; Carol
Bland; and Ellen Livingston.

OTHERS:  Others testifying on the bill explained that the St.
Louis Board of Police Commissioners consists of four
commissioners, appointed by the Governor with the advice and
consent of the Senate, to serve a four-year term.

Testifying on the bill was Megan Werner, St. Louis Board of
Police Commissioners.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:11 pm