Proposal to increase pay for St. Louis police officers introduced at BOA

ST. LOUIS (KMOV) -- A resolution calling for salaries for St. Louis police officers to be comparable and competitive with area police departments was introduced to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen Friday morning. Resolution 113 was introduced by 14th ward Alderwoman Carol Howard and 27th ward Alderwoman Pamela Boyd.

“I would like to make a motion to place Resolution 113 in Public Safety Committee,” said Howard.

Last month, comptroller Darlene Green grabbed a lot of attention when she proposed increasing pay and benefits. Howard said the non-binding resolution is the next step in the ongoing discussion of the issue.

“The reason for this is to demonstrate to the police and to send a message to the leadership that we need to work with them and we need to give them commiserate and comparable compensation that they would get in the outlying areas,” she said.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department started the year with 1,128 commissioned employees. So far this year, the department has hired 71 new officers. But 154 have left the police department, leaving a net loss of 83 officers, or 7 percent of the force.

Many officers have been lured away by better-paying jobs at other area police departments. Here’s a look at starting salaries for some area departments.

St. Louis: $47,815

St. Louis County: $55,390

Chesterfield: $58,500

St. Charles County: $58,800

Jefferson County: $55,000

Belleville: $71,000

But salaries jump significantly for officers who get hired at departments that allow them to transfer their years of seniority. Resolution 113 also proposes a similar one-to-one pay agreement. The resolution also proposes a uniform stipend of $1,000 a year and loans or tax abatement for officers who purchase a home in St. Louis.

The resolution is expected to be discussed in detail at a public safety committee hearing on October 5.

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