St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

From April 28, 1836, to August 29, 2020, the Officer Down Memorial Page reported that 170 officers in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department have died in the line of duty.[10]

The composition of the department's total personnel, according to the 2020 annual report, was:[11]

• Sex — Male: 83.54%, Female: 16.46%
• Race — White: 66.0%, African-American/Black: 30%, Other: 3.51%

Starting salary for a Metropolitan police officer is $54,000, increasing to a maximum of $90,387.[12]

Officers are represented by the St. Louis Police Officers Association (SLPOA). SLPOA employs author and former 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]

Officers with the SLMPD have been accused of several incidents of alleged police misconduct,[15][16] obstruction of justice,[15][17] violations of civil rights,[18] and racial prejudice.[19][20] Several of these controversial incidents have resulted in criminal charges against SLMPD officers, and some cases have resulted in guilty pleas.

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 St. 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.[21] 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.[22] 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.”[23]

A fourth police officer, Bailey Colletta, was charged with providing false testimony to a grand jury.[24] 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.[25]

All four officers were suspended without pay.[25]

Officer Hays, who allegedly had texted "going rogue does feel good", pled guilty to assault.[26] 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.[27]

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. Officer Korte was later unanimously found not guilty by the jury, after evidence was shown in trial proving he was nowhere near Luther Hall when he was attacked.[28] Officer Korte was later reinstated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.[27]

Hall filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in September 2019 against the police and against the city.[29]

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 an alleged history of misconduct.[30] 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.[31]

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.[32] St. Louis circuit attorney Kimberly 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.[33][34][35] St. Louis Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Hayden Jr. responded to criticism of the investigation as unfounded.[36]

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,[37] violent, and Islamophobic.[38] 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.[39] 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.[40]

Police Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department – City of St. Louis is an office held by the highest-ranking member of the Metropolitan Police Department. St. Louis has had 36 police chiefs (including interim chiefs) since 1861. For a full list of past and current police commissioners, visit the Commissioner of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department page.

Lieutenant Colonels command the Bureaus of Investigative Services, Support Operations, and Community Policing and Auxiliary Services.

• Lieutenant Colonel Ronnie Robinson, Office of the Police Commissioner

• Lieutenant Colonel Michael Sack, Office of the Police Commissioner

The rank of Major is the third-highest rank in the Department, reporting directly to a Lieutenant Colonel. 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.

• Major Renee Kriesmann, Commander of Bureau of Community Policing

• Major Shawn Dace, Commander of Bureau of Auxiliary Services

• Major Eric Larson, Commander of Bureau of Support Operations

• Major Ryan Cousins, Commander of the Bureau of Investigative Services

• Major Janice Bockstruck, Commander of the Bureau of Specialized Enforcement

All potential candidates for the position of Police Officer must undergo a written examination, oral board panel and review, physical agility testing, psychological screening, drug testing and intensive background investigation. The number of candidates accepted is less than 25 percent of overall applicants. New officers are hired as probationary employees at the rank of Police Trainee. Upon successful completion of the six-month police academy, they are appointed as a probationary Police Officer. Upon successful completion of 3 months of field training and an additional 1-year probationary period, they attain their full rank.