SB 280 - This act creates the "Safer St. Louis Act of 2023." This act provides that the city of St. Louis may pass ordinances, including ordinances for preserving order and protecting the public; but no ordinances shall, in any manner, conflict or interfere with the powers or the exercise of the powers of the Board of Police Commissioners. Additionally, the mayor or any city officer shall not impede or hinder the Board of Police Commissioners. The mayor or any city officer shall be liable for a penalty of $1,000 for each and every offense to hinder the Board and shall forever be disqualified from holding or exercising any office of the city.
Beginning August 28, 2023, the Board shall assume control of the municipal police department of St. Louis and no later than September 28, 2023, the Governor shall appoint four commissioners to the Board who shall serve together with the mayor. The municipal police department shall transfer title and ownership of all indebtedness and assets and accept liability as successor-in-interest for contractual obligation of the police department. The Board shall initially employ, without reduction in rank, salary, or benefits, all commissioned and civilian personnel of the municipal police department.
The Board is required to appoint and employ a permanent police force consisting of not less than 1,142 members. The Board may continue to employ as many non-commissioned police civilians as it deems necessary in order to perform the duties imposed on them, which shall include city marshals and park rangers. The Board shall grant every member of the police force a certain number of paid vacation days based on how long each member has served as provided in the act.
The maximum number of officers of the police force in each rank shall be as follows:
• 1 chief of police with the rank of colonel;
• 1 assistant chief of police with the rank of lieutenant colonel;
• 4 additional lieutenant colonels;
• 10 captains;
• 57 lieutenants; and
• 188 sergeants.
No further appointments to the rank of major shall be made, but all members of the force now holding the rank of major shall continue in that rank until their promotion, demotion, removal, resignation, or other separation from the force. The salaries paid as of August 28, 2023, shall not be less than the annual salaries paid to each member before the enactment of this act and annual salaries shall increase by no less than $4,000 by July 1, 2024. No additional compensation shall be given to any officer of the rank of lieutenant or above for overtime, court time, or stand-by court time.
Probationary patrolmen, patrolmen, and sergeants shall receive compensation for all hours of service in excess of the established regular working period, for all authorized overtime, and for employees who complete academic work at an accredited college or university up to a certain amount as provided in the act. Additionally, certain officers may receive up to 10% of their salary in additional compensation for hours worked between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
This act provides that until the Board adopts other investigative and disciplinary procedures, the police force shall follow the disciplinary and investigative procedures established by the Police Manual of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department which are consistent with law. The Board shall not adopt any disciplinary procedures that do not include the summary hearing Board procedures provided for currently in the Police Manual.
This act provides that reimbursements from the Legal Expense Fund to the Board for liability claims shall be on a twenty-one equal share basis per claim up to a maximum of one million dollars per fiscal year.
This act is substantially similar to provisions in HCS/HB 702, SB 78 (2023), and HCS/HB 2432 (2022) and similar to SB 1012 (2022) and to provisions in HB 2432 (2022), HB 2671 (2022), and HB 1476 (2021).
MARY GRACE PRINGLE