ST. LOUIS • City Hall will regain the reins of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ police on Sept. 1, ending 152 years of state control that critics say was often cumbersome, inefficient and an impediment to political accountability.
With local control comes immediate flexibility to reduce the number of districts, modify the number of commanders, streamline logistics and fulfill the visions of a chief hired with the transition in mind.
“It is an opportunity to reinvent ourselves and look internally to make changes, which under state control, we couldn’t,†Chief Sam Dotson said in an interview Tuesday. , two months after Missouri voters endorsed the change.
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Dotson estimated that 70 percent of his time in recent months has been spent preparing what he calls “the merger†of the city and the police.
Mayor Francis Slay also has been preparing for the moment when responsibility for crime control falls squarely at his feet, instead of being just one vote on .
“Fighting crime is a team sport,†said Jeff Rainford, Slay’s chief of staff. “For a very long time, the star of the team wasn’t on our team.â€
Rainford said it is a historic time because past mayors have been held accountable for crime but had very little power to do anything about it.
“Now he can actually have a say, ask questions, and hold our own department accountable,†Rainford said.
Pro-South politicians devised the state control of police to thwart Union sympathizers in ºüÀêÊÓƵ in 1861, as the Civil War drew near. Next month’s change leaves Kansas City alone among large cities whose police are controlled by a state board.
It’s a move that many rank-and-file officers historically opposed, fighting virtually every effort to return control to the city. Their main fears were rooted in how local politicians might try to raid their pensions or influence how they do their jobs — . He won a contentious union election on a platform of opposition to local control.
Rainford said the mayor will not tell the police how to fight crime, but will hold the chief accountable, and coordinate all of city government around policing. Rainford said the mayor’s office has encouraged and the increased use of technology, like expanding use of and .
CHANGES IN STAGES
Dotson outlined several short- and long-term goals.
The city’s will meet to finalize new rules early next month to govern police disciplinary matters formerly handled by the police commissioners.
As of Sept. 1, the department will absorb the — about two dozen noncommissioned employees who provide building and court security at City Hall and the Municipal Court. Until now, they have worked under a mayoral appointee.
By October, Dotson said, he would like the department to begin supervising the approximately two dozen for “a more targeted enforcement approach.â€
Also by fall, Dotson said he would like the city’s and to report to the police. Such moves will require ordinance changes, he added.
“The city hosts a lot of special events, whether it’s a baseball game, Fair ºüÀêÊÓƵ, and we have a chance to put everyone in the same room to make these events more successful,†Dotson said.
Until now, the state micromanaged some department functions. For example, state law required that the city be divided into , and set the number of deputy chiefs at five. Dotson proposes six districts and a reduction in top brass through attrition.
He said one longer-term goal is crafting a civilian review process, by which the public can have a say in deadly force encounters.
Another is ultimately taking control of the . It has about 70 officers who are city employees deputized by ºüÀêÊÓƵ County. Bringing them under the city police department umbrella would help eliminate administrative redundancies.
City agencies will absorb some of the department’s operations, including information technology, fleet management, human resources, facilities management, printing operations and, potentially, the legal division.
None of this means layoffs or wage reductions, Dotson insisted. “As we combine these units, there will be savings through attrition over time.â€
MOVING FORWARD
Slay and the other four police commissioners — appointed by the governor — are set for their last regular meeting Thursday. A largely ceremonial meeting is planned for Aug. 31, to honor past and present board members.
The board will continue to exist. Commissioners Richard Gray, Thomas Irwin, Erwin Switzer and Bettye Battle-Turner are expected to deal with pre-Sept. 1 litigation until it is all concluded.
But the state will no longer absorb half the cost — up to $1 million — of settlements and judgments against the police department.
The city counselor’s office will defend lawsuits filed against the department after Aug. 31. Rainford said any payouts would come from the city’s existing judgment fund, which may need to be increased. He suggested that such costs would be a very small part of the overall budget and could be offset by future savings.
Meanwhile, a five-member transition committee will make nonbinding recommendations. It will include Dotson, Slay aide Eddie Roth, who formerly served on the police board, an airport police representative and one person each from the Police Officers’ Association and the Ethical Society of Police.
“Our objective would be to make some constructive, practical suggestions to make the transition effective and smooth,†Roth said. “I view this largely as a sounding board.â€
The committee’s first meeting will be today at 9 a.m. in the headquarters board room where, ordinarily, the police commissioners would have been meeting.