Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis
The Metropolitan Police Department – City of St. Louis, is the primary law enforcement agency for the City of St.Louis, Missouri in the United States.
The Metropolitan Police is a Division in the Public Safety Department - City of St. Louis. The Metropolitan Police is the second largest City police agency in Missouri, based on number of employees, city population, and geographic area served. The department is also the 36th largest police department in the United States.
The current Police Commissioner is Colonel John Hayden Jr., who was named to the position on December 28, 2017.
The department is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
The Metropolitan Police Department is one of the oldest modern police forces in the world.
According to the Mapping Police Violence dataset, MPDSL has the highest police use of deadly force per capita. The MPDSL union has strongly resisted attempts to establish independent oversight of police misconduct. When Kimberly Gardner, the top prosecutor in St. Louis, sought to establish a unit within her office to independently investigate police misconduct, the leader of the MPDSL union said Gardner should be removed "by force or by choice."
Departmental History
The Metropolitan Police Department was established in 1808, five years after St. Louis became part of the United States. The department was created with only four officers, who received no pay. Able-bodied men age 18 and older were required to patrol for four months of the year. This was the only police system for the next 10 years. Refusal to serve on patrol carried a fine of $1.In 2013, CALEA recognized the Metropolitan Police Department with it distinguished Tri-Arc Award. The Tri-Arc Award is reserved for those police agencies that have successfully accredited their law enforcement services, police academy and communications division. Only six agencies in the world have achieved this status.
Demographics
The composition of the department's total personnel, according to the 2018 annual report, was:- Sex — Male: 84%, Female: 16%
- Race — White: 66%, African-American/Black: 30%, Other: 4%
Salary
Union representation
Officers are represented by the St. Louis Police Officers Association. SLPOA employs author and decommissioned Arnold police officer Jeff Roorda as business manager. In the 2017 city mayoral election, incumbent Lyda Krewson called for Roorda to be fired due to social media comments directed at candidate Tishaura Jones and declared that he would not be welcomed in her office if elected.The St. Louis Ethical Society of Police, formerly known as St. Louis Black Police Officers Association until 1975, represents African American police officers by providing legal counsel and other benefits; however, the SLPOA is the only recognized bargaining unit for officers.
Department Structure
The Metropolitan Police Department is headed by a Police Commissioner. Currently, the Police Commissioner is John Hayden Jr. who replaced Former Police Commissioner Sam Dotson in 2017.The Metropolitan Police Department is composed of four bureaus:
- Bureau of Community Policing
- Bureau of Professional Standards
- Bureau of Investigative Services
- Bureau of Specialized Enforcement
Office of the Police Commissioner
The Office of the Police Commissioner is responsible for Purchasing, Supply/Uniform, Cyber Crime, Operational Planning,Information Technology, the Purchasing, Budget & Finance, Auxiliary Services, Technological Solutions & Investigations.
Police Commissioner: Colonel John Hayden Jr. (appointed to the position of Commissioner of Police on December 28, 2017
- Public Information Office
- Budget & Finance
- Cyber Crime
- Purchasing
- Supply/Uniform
- Information Technology
- Operational Planning
Office of the Assistant Chief of Police
The Assistant Chief, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, will serve as Acting Police Commissioner in the absence of the Police Commissioner.
Deputy Chiefs
The rank of Lieutenant Colonel is the second-highest rank in the Department, reporting directly to the Police Commissioner. Each Deputy Chief serves as a member of the Senior Command staff and assists the Police Commissioner in managing civilian and commissioned personnel.| Bureau | Lieutenant Colonel |
| 1 Office of the Assistant Chief of Police | Lawrence M. O'Toole |
| 2 Bureau of Investigative Services | Ronnie Robinson |
| 3 Bureau of Community Policing | Vacant |
| 4 Bureau of Specialized Enforcement | Rochelle Jones |
| 5 Bureau of Professional Standards | Michael Sack |
Majors
The rank of Major is the third-highest rank in the Department, reporting directly to a Deputy Chief. Each Major serves as a member of the Senior Command staff and assists each Lieutenant Colonel in managing civilian and commissioned personnel within their assigned areas.| Bureau | Police Major |
| 1 Deputy Commander of the Bureau of Professional Standards | Eric Larson |
| 2 Commander of Investigative Services Bureau | Mary J. Warnecke |
| 3 Commander of Central Patrol Division | Vacant |
| 4 Commander of North Patrol Division | Angela Coonce |
| 5 Commander of South Patrol Division | Shawn Dace |
Rank structure and Bureaus
Police Officer is the initial rank of oncoming Metropolitan Police officers, held while undergoing training at the Metropolitan Police Academy.Police Vehicles
The MPD utilizes a variety of vehicles, including the Ford Police Interceptor, the Dodge Charger, the Chevrolet Tahoe, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2500 series, the Chevrolet Impala 9C1, the Chevrolet Caprice, the Ford Police Interceptor, and the Ford F-150 and F-250. Both regularly marked and slicktop vehicles are used frequently. Each officer is issued the Beretta 92D 9mm handgun which has been standard issue since 1992. As of 2017 it was reported that the department would be getting new 9mm Beretta pistols to replace the currently issued aging Beretta 92D.Patrol cars
- Chevrolet Impala
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Dodge Charger
- Chevrolet Malibu
S.W.A.T
- Lenco BearCat
- S.W.A.T Mobile Command
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Chevrolet Step-Van
- 2011 Explorer
Bureaus
| Bureau | Commander | Description | Subdivisions |
| Bureau of Community Policing | Lieutenant Colonel Vacant | The Community Oriented Policing Bureau which is the largest bureau within the department. | The Bureau of Community Policing comprises six districts which are grouped into the North, South and Central patrols and the Housing Unit. |
| Bureau of Specialized Enforcement | Lieutenant Colonel Rochelle Jones | The Specialized Enforcement Bureau was created to enhance the department's coordinated response to major events and incidents that require specifically trained and equipped personnel. | The bureau oversees the Special Operations Investigators, Drug Enforcement & Intervention, Mobile Reserve, and Special Weapons & Tactics Unit and Canine unit and Aviation and Traffic/Mounted Patrol and Park Rangers and Public Transportation. |
| Bureau of Investigative Services | Lieutenant Colonel Ronnie Robinson | The Investigative Services is responsible for the safety and security | The bureau comprises Homicide, the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit, Sex Crimes, Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse Response Team and Cyber Crimes and Domestic Violence Prevention. |
| Bureau of Professional Standards | Lieutenant Colonel Michael Sack | The Bureau of Professional Standards is responsible for ongoing training of all department employees & also serves as the Inspector of Police, responsible for investigations of complaints brought against department employees | The bureau comprises Internal Affairs, Private Security, Force Investigation Unit, Police Academy, Police Trainees and Planning & Research and CALEA & Officer Wellness/CIT Coordinator. |
| Office of the Assistant Chief | Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence M. O'Toole | The Office of the Assistant Chief is responsible to ensure the integrity of the Police Department and its personnel. | The Office comprises Special Projects, Emergency Management, Asset Removal, and the Cadet Program. |
Bureau of Community Policing
SLMPD provides law enforcement services to Three Area Patrol Stations throughout the City of St.Louis:Structure chart
Central Patrol Division
| Division number | Division name | Areas served | Commander |
| 3rd | Central Patrol | Benton Park, Benton Park West, Compton Heights, Fox Park, Gravois Park, Kosciusko, Lafayette Square, LaSalle, and Marine Villa, McKinley Heights,Peabody/Darst/Webbe, Soulard, The Gate District, Tower Grove East and portions of Dutchtown. | Captain Ryan Cousins |
| 4th | Central Patrol | Carr Square, Columbus Square, Covenant Blu-Grand Center, Downtown, Downtown West, Fairgrounds Park, Hyde Park, Jeff Vander Lou, Midtown, Old North St. Louis, St. Louis Place and portions of College Hill Fairgrounds and Near North Riverfront | Captain Renee Kriesmann |
North Patrol Division
"Home of the Real Police"| District number | District name | Areas served | Commander |
| 5th | North Patrol | Academy, Central West End, DeBaliviere Place, Fountain Park, Hamilton Heights, Kingshighway West, Lewis Place, Skinker/DeBaliviere, The Ville, Vandeventer, Visitation Park, Wells/Goodfellow, West End and portions of the Greater Ville and Kingsway East. | Captain Michael Mueller |
| 6th | North Patrol | Baden, Mark Twain, Mark Twain/I-70 Industrial, North Point, North Riverfront, O'Fallon, O’Fallon Park, Penrose, Penrose Park, Riverview, Walnut Park East, Walnut Park West and portions of College Hill, Fairground, Greater Ville, Kingsway East and Near North Riverfront. | Lieutenant Latricia Allen |
South Patrol Division
| Division number | Division name | Areas served | Commander |
| 1st | South Patrol | Bevo Mill, Boulevard Heights, Carondelet, Carondelet Park, Holly Hills, Mount Pleasant, Patch, Princeton Heights and portions of Dutchtown and South Hampton. | Captain Donnell Moore |
| 2nd | South Patrol | Botanical Gardens, Cheltenham, Clayton/Tamm, Clifton Heights, Ellendale, Forest Park, Forest Park Southeast, Franz Park, Hi-Point, Kings Oak, Lindenwood Park, McRee Town, North Hampton, Shaw, Southwest Garden, St. Louis Hills, The Hill, Tiffany, Tower Grove Park, Tower Grove South, Wilmore Park, Wydown/Skinker and portions of South Hampton. | Captain Christi Marks |
Bureau of Professional Standards
Structure chart
Force Investigation Unit
The Force Investigative Unit was established in September 2014 as the entity responsible forthe criminal investigation of all officer-involved shootings. The FIU investigates all officer-involved shootings occurring within the City of St. Louis involving commissioned officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as commissioned officers of any other jurisdiction. Before the initiation of the FIU, the department researched and visited several other police departments to ensure the best policies and practices were implemented. The FIU consists of a lieutenant and four detectives dedicated solely to investigating officer-involved shootings. The team responses directly to the scene of each incident, allowing detectives to conduct a thorough investigation of the case. Under the new policies, once the FIU's investigation concludes, the case is then turned over to the Circuit Attorney's Office for review.
Police Academy
The St. Louis Police Academy Recruits spend 28 weeks in the Academy with courses in Criminal and Constitutional Law, Patrol, Juvenile Procedures, Criminal Investigation, Report Writing, Firearms, Human Behavior, Traffic, Ethics and Driver Training. Recruits also have a rigorous physical training program and complete community service as part of their curriculum.Private Security
The Private Security Section is responsible for the processing, training, and licensing of all applicants for security licenses in the City of St. Louis. With the exception of St. Louis Police Officers, all persons performing a security function in the City of St. Louis must be licensed to do so through the Private Security Section.Bureau of Specialized Enforcement
Structure chart
SWAT
The Special Weapons and Tactics team of the SLMPD. It provides the Department with 24-hour coverage necessary for immediate response to barricaded suspects, snipers, crisis and hostage negotiations, potential suicide-related situations, and other high-risk incidents. Rapid deployment, surprise, extensive tactics training and thorough planning are all parts of successful SWAT operations. SWAT currently operates the Lenco B.E.A.R.The sanctity of human life is paramount and SWAT officers will make every attempt to preserve life.
K-9 Unit
The K-9 Unit deploys highly trained dog handlers and their canine partners to conduct searches and apprehend felony suspects throughout the St Louis City. Canine personnel are deployed around-the-clock, seven days a week. They are available to assist any SLMPD division with searches for felony suspects. Four Canine officers have also been trained in search and rescue operations using dogs.The Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis has their own canine school.
Aviation Unit
The SLMPD Aviation Unit operates as part of a multi-jurisdictional unit known as the Metro Air Support Unit. This Unit is composed of the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis as well as the St. Louis County Police Department and St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department.Traffic/Mounted Patrol
The Mounted Patrol Unit operates as part of the Traffic Safety Division. Mounted Patrol is responsible for patrolling the nearly 1300 acres of Forest Park on a 24-hour basis. They assist with crowd control at major events and represent the Department in annual parades in St. Louis.Bureau of Investigative Services
Structure chart
Homicide
The Homicide Division investigates cases where a victim is killed as a result of the actions of another person. Investigators in the Homicide Division also respond when a death may not be immediately apparent to be a homicide but the death is considered suspicious.Regional Bomb and Arson Unit
The Regional Bomb and Arson Unit The unit’s response area includes the City of St. Louis, St.Louis County, Jefferson County, and FranklinCounty. The unit is part of the FBI’s National BombSquad Task Force and can be utilized for bomb squad functions throughout Missouri and other
states in the event of a large-scale emergency.
Juvenile
The SLMPD Juvenile Unit Provides Children and families should be aware of the following laws and resources for Juveniles.Domestic Abuse Response Team
The DART unit is responsible for investigating and reporting domestic abuse cases, stalking, order of protection violations, incidents where the perpetrator is a current or former partner/spouse and elder abuse cases.Circuit Attorney Invest/Court Liaison
Fallen Officers
From April 28, 1836, to January 24, 2019, the Officer Down Memorial Page reported that 170 officers in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department died in the line of duty, 89 of them from gunfire, 38 from automobile-related incidents, and three from heart attacks. Many families of those killed in the line of duty get support from BackStoppers, a local charity.The causes of death are as follows:
| Cause of deaths | Deaths |
| Aircraft accident | |
| Animal related | |
| Automobile accident | |
| Assault | |
| Electrocuted | |
| Fall | |
| Gunfire | |
| Gunfire | |
| Heart attack | |
| Motorcycle accident | |
| Struck by streetcar | |
| Struck by train | |
| Struck by vehicle | |
| Structure collapse | |
| Vehicular assault | |
| Total |
Controversies
Officers with the SLMPD have been accused of several incidents of alleged police misconduct, obstruction of justice, violations of civil rights, and racial prejudice. Several of these controversial incidents have resulted in criminal charges against SLMPD officers, and some cases have resulted in guilty pleas.Shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith (2017)
See: Shooting of Anthony Lamar SmithAssault of Undercover Officer Luther Hall (2018)
Three Saint Louis police officers from its Civil Disobedience Team were charged with felony assault against undercover police officer Luther Hall during the 2017 Saint Louis protests. Officer Hall, according to the November 2018 indictment, had been extensively assaulted by the three officers. According to the prosecutors, officers Christopher Myers, Randy Hays, and Dustin Boone used excessive force in the form of kicking Hall and beating him with their police batons. Hall stated that the officers smashed his cell phone and broke a camera he had used to document the protests. Hall's injuries as a result of the assault included an injured tailbone, two herniated discs, and a jaw injury that prevented Hall from eating, resulting in a twenty-pound weight loss. Prosecutors obtained text messages from the officers involved, which revealed the officers' excitement at the prospect of brutalizing protesters. Officer Boone allegedly texted "it’s gonna be a lot of fun beating the hell out of those shitheads once the sun goes down and nobody can tell us apart!!!!” and “Did everyone see the protesters getting FUCKED UP in the galleria????? That was awesome.”A fourth police officer, Bailey Colletta, was charged with providing false testimony to a grand jury. Colletta pled guilty to giving false testimony to cover up the attack on Hall, and admitted she had lied to the FBI and to a federal grand jury.
All four officers were suspended without pay.
Officer Hays, who allegedly had texted "going rogue does feel good", pled guilty to assault. Hays admitted that on the evening of September 17, although Hays did not witness anything probable cause to arrest Hall, Hays and other officers arrested Hall. During the arrest, Hall was compliant and pinned to the ground, with Officer Boone's knee on Hall's shoulder and continualy pushing down Hall's head while telling him not to look at them; during this time, officers kicked Hall in the face and beat him with a baton.
An indictment released in December 2019 revealed that a fifth officer, Steve Korte, was also charged for violently beating Hall, and then lying to the FBI about his involvement. He was placed on administrative leave without pay.
Hall filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in September 2019 against the police and against the city.