St. Louis City Police Dept
The City of St. Louis is approximately 62 square miles in size and lies at the core of the largest metropolitan area in the state. The City is comprised of 79 diverse neighborhoods and 108 City parks and is home to a world-renowned zoo and botanical garden as well as other major museums and arts and entertainment attractions. The City hosts every home game for two major sports franchises and one Division I university, a multitude of concerts and theatrical performances at numerous venues, and a set of large regional cultural events including a large multi-day Independence Day festival, and the second-largest Mardi Gras celebration in the country. As the urban core of the metropolitan area, the City's estimated daily population grows by approximately 34% based upon traditional commuting patterns, drawing from all surrounding cities and counties within the metropolitan statistical area. In addition, regional daily commuting patterns bring residents from throughout the region, as well as citizens from outside the region, into the City limits.Due to the impact of COVID-19 on law enforcement staffing and operations, traffic stop numbers were significantly impacted in this reporting year. Attempts to keep both law enforcement officers and the public safe from COVID-19 exposure due to discretionary law enforcement contact, traffic stop activity was dramatically reduced during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, with traffic stop activity steadily increasing through the rest of the year starting mid-spring. While the data compiled in this report are informative, it is important to note that disparity indices represent ratios based simply on resident population and do not take into consideration regional population, commuting patterns, or factors intrinsically associated with providing law enforcement services within citywide or within localized pieces of City geography. As a result, a disparity rate alone does not serve as proof, or even an indication, of racial profiling. Department policy prohibits bias-based policing and officers must adhere to this policy. Every commissioned member of the Department receives annual training on procedural justice that addresses bias-based policing, as required both by State law and by Department policy. This training is supplemented and reinforced by periodic courses in related topics such as cultural diversity, ethics, and communication skills. The Department continues to work with its officers, local leaders, and community and academic partners to identify best practices as they relate to citizen contacts.