Add Us On Google Add as a preferred source on Google

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - One year of state control over the St. Louis Police Department was designed to improve public safety and stabilize the agency, but the first year has also brought a fight over funding, lawsuits and last-minute budget changes tied to police pay.

Gov. Mike Kehoe said the first year was about public safety, not a budget battle.

 Well, it's always about public safety,  Kehoe said.

Kehoe said he would not call the funding dispute a battle.

 I called it a discussion of how we compensate our police officers, how we retain and recruit additional police officers,  Kehoe said.  And there's always going to be some pains to having those conversations. 

City budget changes tied to police raises

St. Louis city leaders finalized the budget for the next fiscal year after last-minute changes tied to raises the police board gave command staff last week.

Police said the department already had money budgeted to give command staff raises of up to 22%. But because the city charter mandates firefighters get equal raises, city leaders had to find more than $1 million from the original budget for the fire department.

Most of that money was cut from the police department's judgment account, which pays for lawsuits against officers.

A special Board of Aldermen meeting was held Monday to perfect the changes so the budget can pass before the deadline next week.

 While I may be frustrated by the actions of the police department, I feel confident in the budget in front of us,  said Rasheen Aldridge, a St. Louis alderman.  Outside of this budget, we're giving city employees 3% raises, and we made some huge additions to various departments that had asked for that support. 

Other approved changes included adding positions in the forestry department, the city's jail and the building division.

The overall city budget totals more than $1.4 billion, with police receiving about $220 million. That is $30 million less than police had requested.

Outside of the police budget, $53 million is designated for public health, safety and v

#firstalert4   #crimewatchstlouis