The process of turning control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department over to City Hall begins today.
Ald. Craig Schmid, the chair of the public safety committee at the Board of Aldermen, will introduce the bill in which the city accepts "responsibility, ownership and liability as the successor-in-interest for contractual obligations, indebtedness and other lawful obligations of the Board of Police Commissioners."
Most of the process of creating a municipal police force is outlined in language approved in November as part of Proposition A. But the devil remains in the details. For example, the Civil Service Commission will have to determine a proper disciplinary process, since police officers will now be city employees. And there's always the possibility, however slight, that the Board of Aldermen could refuse to pass Schmid's bill.
