Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis

The composition of the department's total personnel, according to the 2018 annual report, was:[11]

• Sex — Male: 84%, Female: 16%
• Race — White: 66%, African-American/Black: 30%, Other: 4%

Starting salary for a Metropolitan police officer is Minimum $47,815 to $70,387 Maximum[12]

Officers are represented by the St. Louis Police Officers Association (SLPOA). 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.[13]

The St. Louis Ethical Society of Police (ESOP), 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.[14]

The assistant chief, serves as acting police commissioner in the absence of the commissioner. the assistant chief holds the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Lawrence M. O'Toole has served as assistant chief since July 9, 2015.

The Office of the Assistant Chief is responsible for:

1. Emergency Management
2. Special Projects
3. Asset Remova
4. Cadet Program
5. Auxiliary Services

The rank of major is the third-highest rank in the department, reporting to a deputy chief. Each major serves as a member of the senior command staff and assists in managing civilian and commissioned personnel within their assigned areas.[17]

A Chevrolet Tahoe of SLMPD's MetroLink patrol unit

The department utilizes a variety of vehicles, including the Ford Police Interceptor, Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI), the Dodge Charger, the Chevrolet Tahoe, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2500 series, the Chevrolet Impala 9C1, the Chevrolet Caprice, 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 92D.[19]

The department is divided into four bureaus and an office.[20] which are typically commanded by a deputy chief. The bureaus fit under four umbrellas: Investigative Services, Professional Standards, and Specialized Enforcement and Community Policing. Bureaus are often subdivided into smaller divisions and units

"Home of the Real Police"

The Force Investigative Unit (FIU) was established in September 2014 as the entity responsible for the 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.[29]

The Metropolitan 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.[30]

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.[31]

The Internal Affairs Division exists to investigate complaints from citizens about the conduct of department employees. [32]

The Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis, is proud to be a CALEA accredited agency. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) was established in 1979 to assist law enforcement agencies in establishing and maintaining high standards of excellence. [33]

They provide forensic chemistry services to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department employees, as well as outside agencies in the investigation of criminal as well as outside agencies in the investigation of criminal cases [34]

The Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) of the SLMPD provides the city 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. SWAT currently operates the Lenco BearCat and various SUVs. SLMPD SWAT conducts training both for SLMPD recruits and seasoned officers within the department plus visiting agencies from across the country as well as foreign police units. In any given year, they will respond to an average of 155 hostage incidents and execute over 365 high risk search warrants and/or arrest warrants. SWAT also provides dignitary protection for the president of the United States, the vice president, visiting heads of state and other dignitaries during visits to the St. Louis City area.[35]

The K-9 Unit deploys highly trained dog handlers and their canine partners to conduct searches and apprehend felony suspects throughout the St. Louis. 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.[36]

The department has its own canine school.[37]

The SLMPD Aviation Unit operates as part of a multi-jurisdictional unit known as the Metro Air Support Unit. This unit is comprises the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, as well as the St. Louis County Police Department and St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department.[38]

The Mounted Patrol Unit operates as part of the Traffic Safety Division. Mounted Patrol is responsible for patrolling the nearly 1,326 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.[39]

Today, the Mounted Patrol operates with two sergeants, fourteen officers, three civilians and eight horses.

Park Rangers protect assets and maintain order at city parks, recreation centers, and forest facilities through crime prevention and regulation.[40]

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.[41]

The Bomb and Arson Unit’s response area includes the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Jefferson County, and Franklin County. The unit is part of the FBI’s National Bomb Squad Task Force and can be utilized for bomb squad functions throughout Missouri and other states in the event of a large-scale emergency.[42]

The SLMPD Juvenile Unit Provides children and families should be aware of the following laws and resources for juveniles.[43]

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.[44]

See: Shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith

Three St. 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.[54] 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.[55] 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.”[56]

A fourth police officer, Bailey Colletta, was charged with providing false testimony to a grand jury.[57] 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.[58]

All four officers were suspended without pay.[59]

Officer Hays, who allegedly had texted "going rogue does feel good", pled guilty to assault.[60] 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 continually 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.[61]

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.[62]

Hall filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in September 2019 against the police and against the city.[63]

A controversy ensued in 2019 regarding the existence of a list created by circuit attorney Kimberly M. Gardner's office of 28 Metropolitan Department officers that were to be excluded from acting as witnesses in future prosecutions due to a history of misconduct.[64] In late September 2020, fifteen more officers were added to the list. This would indicate about five percent of the sworn officers of the department are listed. The names of those on the list has not been released to the public.[65]

On January 24, police arrived at the residence of SLMPD officer Nathaniel Hendren following reports of gunshots, upon arrival police found 24-year-old officer Katlyn Alix fatally shot in the chest, following an alleged game of Russian roulette.[66] Saint Louis circuit attorney Kimberly M. Gardner criticized the investigation, stating that the department was obstructing the investigation of the shooting, claiming investigators refused to allow a sample of Officer Hendren's blood be tested for alcohol and other substances.[67][68][69] St. Louis Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Hayden Jr. responded to criticism of the investigation as unfounded.[70]

In June 2019 officers and employees from numerous police departments in the United States were found to have participated in a number of private groups on Facebook that shared content that was described as racist,[71] violent, and Islamophobic.[72] This information was published online by the Plain View Project, which had viewed and documented the social-media accounts of 2,900 officers from eight separate departments, finding twenty percent of those users posted material that was determined to meet the threshold of being offensive.[73] At least 22 officers in the department were found to have participated in the closed groups, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner stated that these officers would be added to a list of officers who have been determined to be unable to provide witness testimony in criminal prosecutions.[74]

Former St. Louis police officer William C. Olsten was charged with three counts of felony third-degree assault on July 17, 2019 for allegations of pepper-spraying three protesters outside of Busch Stadium in 2017 against the acquittal of Officer Jason Stockley,[75]