St. Louis Mayor supports bill that would establish city ran police department
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St. Louis Mayor supports bill that would establish city ran police department

Date: February 15, 2010
By: Rebecca Stephen
State Capitol Bureau
Links: HB 1601

Intro:  The St. Louis mayor and police go head to head over a bill that would put the St. Louis Police Department under city control.
RunTime:  0:35
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: It was a packed house when St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay urged a House Committee to give St. Louis back control of their Police Department.  

Slay says this will help better train, utilize and pay members of the St. Louis Police Department.

Actuality:  SLAY.WAV
Run Time:  00:11
Description: "May we therefore please have our police department back so that the residents of St. Louis, like every other city in the entire country outside of Missouri, control our own police department."

Sitting behind him was an audience of current and retired police officers waiting to speak in opposition of the bill.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Rebecca Stephen.

Intro:  A St. Louis Mayor from two decades ago came before a House Committee meeting to testify on a bill that would give St. Louis control of their Police Department.
RunTime:  0:32
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Former St. Louis Mayor Vincent Schoemehl urged the Committee to give control of the police department back to the city of St. Louis.

Schoemehl says when he was mayor, the only problems he couldn't get a direct fix for were issues dealing with crime and safety.

Actuality:  SCHOE.WAV
Run Time:  00:08
Description: "But when crime came up, when concerns about safety came up, then what I had to do was say well look let me see if I can call somebody and maybe have somebody give you a call."
 
Several current and retired St. Louis Police Officers testified in opposition of the bill.
 
Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Rebecca Stephen.  

Intro:  Current and retired St. Louis Police officers went against the mayor during a Missouri House committee hearing.
RunTime:  0:39
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap:  The House Committee hearing was about a bill that would give the city of St. Louis control of their police department.

St. Louis Police Veterans Association spokesmen John Cullen says he is concerned this could cause political corruption of the police department.

Actuality:  CULLEN.WAV
Run Time:  00:09
Description: "Currently, they can't just fire you because you gave an aldermen's sister a ticket. Maybe they could under the new way. We don't know. That's one of our concerns."
 

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and former Mayor Vincent Schoemehl both testified in support of the bill.

Slay says he supports the bill because the taxpayers should control the services they pay for.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Rebecca Stephen.