A bill sponsored by a St. Louis representative would end state control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and return it to the city.
Originally published March 1, 2010 at 7:46 p.m., updated March 1, 2010 at 9:40 p.m.
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The Missouri House version of legislation that would bring local control to the St. Louis police department got a boost Monday evening when the House Special Committee on Urban Issues approved it by a 5-3 vote with one present.
The House bill sponsored by state Rep. Jamiliah Nasheed, D-60th District, which would remove the more than 140-year control of the department and give it back to the city.
Nasheed is cautiously optimistic of the bill’s passage. “It’s good. Even though it’s the first time in history it’s (bill) passed through committee, there’s still a long battle ahead,” said Nasheed.
The bill now moves on to the House Rules Committee for review before a vote by the full House. A hearing on the bill was held in February.
A Missouri Senate version of the bill will be heard by the Missouri Senate General Laws Committee on Tuesday afternoon. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-4th District.
If enacted, the legislation would abolish the city’s Board of Police Commissioners, a governing board that includes the mayor and four members appointed by the governor. Instead the department would be run by a locally-appointed police commissioner.
Supporters of the legislation say local control will increase efficiency and accountability in the police department.
Opponents, who include police officers, say the legislation would politicize the police department. They said the legislation is also an attempt to gain control of the police pension fund, which Mayor Francis Slay and other supporters have denied.
Arlene Whitworth, a legislative aide for Nasheed, said getting the bill through the rules committee if it makes it should be formality. There is no timetable yet for a full House vote, she said.
The Senate version of the bill is nearly identical to the House version, said Stacey Morse, a legislative aide for Keaveny. The bill, known as Senate Bill 643, may not be voted on by the committee for another two weeks, she said.
Normally a committee vote on bills takes place at least a week after a hearing. But the General Assembly is expected to be on a week-long spring break next week.
After a hearing and committee vote, the bill takes its place in line with other legislation before the senate. If both House and Senate versions pass, the bills would have to be reconciled by a joint House and Senate committee.
Morse said the bill may be included with a separate piece of legislation having to do with the Kansas City police department. The overall bill may face a filibuster by state Sen. Luann Ridgeway, R-17th District, over the Kansas City bill, she said.
Similar legislation involving the St. Louis police department has been filed in the senate before, she said. “It’s never gotten to the floor,” she said
Comments
bs (anonymous) says...
Citizen oversight to this institution is definitely a good thing. Consolidation power and oversight away from the board into a fewer hands diminishes accountability and in my opinion leads to poor decisions for the people. If the citizen board is removed the officers and people will feel the negative effects and St. Louis politicians will come out on top.
March 2, 2010 at 9:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )