Local police services: an inside look

This week, the Leader kicks off the first installment in a series about the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the nine police departments in the area. This week’s installment provides an overview of the agencies’ demographics, as well as a story about the challenges law enforcement agencies face.

Every day deputies and police officers are busy patrolling the roadways and responding to a growing number of calls for service in Jefferson County and the surrounding area.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is the largest law enforcement agency in the area, covering 664 square miles in unincorporated parts of the county; employing 252 officers and others; and operating under an annual budget of about $36.3 million.

The Sheriff’s Office also assists officers who work for the eight major police departments in Jefferson County.

Of those, the Arnold Police Department is the largest, covering 12 square miles; employing 69 officers and others; and operating under an estimated $11.5 million annual budget.

The Byrnes Mill Police Department is the smallest of the major municipal police departments in the county, covering 5.25 square miles, employing 10 officers and operating with a budget of about $936,000 annually.

The city of Kimmswick also has a small police department, covering five square blocks and employing Chief Steve Devore, along with nine part-time officers.

In addition, Jefferson College also has its own police department. The college’s department covers the Hillsboro and Arnold campuses, has 10 employees and operates with a $777,113 yearly budget.

The Dunklin R-5 School District also has a small department, which is staffed by just one officer, Brad Tavener, and operates under a $93,207.68 annual budget.

The Leader also has readers in the Eureka area, and that city’s Police Department covers 10-plus square miles and has 29 officers and other employees and an approximately $5.7 million annual budget.

For this series, the Leader sent out surveys to the Sheriff’s Office and police departments and over the next few weeks will share that information with readers, as well as information from follow-up interviews.

The following is an overview of information from the surveys about key demographics for the area law enforcement agencies.

Arnold Police Department

• Address: 2101 Jeffco Blvd.
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-296-2222
• Website: arnoldmo.org
• Coverage area: 12 square miles
• Annual budget: $11,529,608
• Funding sources: 1-cent public safety sales tax; city’s operating fund
• Starting officer salary: $72,779.20
• Maximum officer salary: $108,014.40
• Benefits: City fully funds individual employee health insurance; employee may pay to add family to plan
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: $9.2 million
• 2025 salaries, benefits cost: $10,465,520
• 2024 calls for service: 56,435
• 2025 calls for service: 14,821 as of Sept. 30
• Chief: Brian Carroll
• Command staff: Maj. Clinton Wooldridge, Detective Lt. Jeremy Christopher, lieutenants Danny Gierer, James Sikes, Thomas Leassner, Joseph deRoode and Matthew Stivers
• Employees: 69, including 57 officers, eight full-time employees, four part-time employees
• School resource officers: Three, with two on Fox campus covering Fox high, middle and elementary schools; one rotates between Rockport Heights and Sherwood elementary schools.
• Minimum new officer training requirements: Complete 600 hours basic law enforcement training at a Police Academy; pass Missouri Peace Officer License Exam
• Minimum command staff training: Complete 24 additional hours of continuing law enforcement education (CLEE) annually; complete leadership training
• Minimum officer continuous training: Complete 24 hours of continuing law enforcement education annually; complete state training requirement of two hours interpersonal perspectives, two hours in legal studies, two hours in technical studies, two hours in firearms skill development and 16 hours in electives, which must include one hour on racial profiling, one hour in implicit bias and one hour in de-escalation
• Police dogs: Two
• Equipment cost covered by city: Approximately $3,000 per officer for uniforms, duty gear, load-bearing vest and bullet-proof vest
• Total vehicles: 39
• Vehicle inventory: 35 Chevrolet Tahoes, three Harley-Davidson motorcycles, one Ford Mustang
• Cameras: 46 body cameras; nine Flock license-plate reading cameras; no dashboard cameras
• Community programs: Arnold Police Explorers, Arnold Junior Police Summer Camp, Back the Blue trivia night, Shop with a Hero, Cop on a Rooftop

Byrnes Mill Police Department

• Address: 141 Osage Executive Circle.
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-797-9999
• Website: byrnesmill.org
• Coverage Area: 5.25 square miles
• Annual budget: $936,000
• Funding sources: Real estate taxes, sales taxes, utility taxes and street revenue taxes
• Starting officer salary: $50,606
• Maximum officer salary: $53,289
• Benefits: City fully funds medical, life, dental and vision insurance. Officers are responsible for co-pay.
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: $619,249
• 2025 projected salaries, benefits cost: $622,263.68
• 2024 calls for service: 1,817
• 2025 calls for service: 1,246 (through Sept. 30)
• Chief: Frank T. Selvaggio
• Command staff: Chief Frank T. Selvaggio and Capt. Steve Schaffer
• Employees: 10 full-time officers
• School resource officers: Zero
• Minimum new officer training requirements: Complete 1,000 hours from an accredited Peace Officer Standards and Training police academy prior to being hired
• Minimum command staff training: Specialized leadership/management/command training; Capt. Schaffer is a Missouri Police Chief’s Association Command College graduate, and Chief Selvaggio is an FBI national academy graduate
• Minimum officer continuous training: Complete 24 hours of Missouri POST training annually. Officers also complete several hours of online training through MIRMA, the city’s insurance carrier
• Police dogs: None
• Equipment cost covered by city: Approximately $3,000 to fully equip one officer with equipment including uniforms, ballistic vests and pistols
• Vehicle inventory: Eight; six marked and two unmarked assigned to the chief and captain.
• Cameras: 6 body cameras; four Flock license-plate reading cameras; three dashboard cameras.
• Community programs: Shop with a Hero; Missouri Special Olympics Car Show and Polar Plunge; Parents Seminar on Teenage Drug and Alcohol Abuse; School Supplies Program; National Night Out; MoDOT First Impact Seminars; House Springs Elementary Ninja Warrior Competition

Crystal City Police Department

• Address: 130 Mississippi Ave.
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-937-4601
• Website: crystalcitymo.gov
• Coverage area: Approximately 5 square miles
• Annual budget: $2,021,027
• Funding sources: 1/2-cent emergency sales tax for police and fire; city’s operating fund
• Starting officer salary: $58,000
• Maximum officer salary: $66,000
• Benefits: City provides medical, dental and vision insurance for officers, and officers may pay to add spouses and children
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: $1,937,970
• 2025 salaries, benefits cost: $2,267,177
• 2024 calls for service: More than 26,000
• 2025 calls for service: 20,357 as of Sept. 30
• Chief: Chad Helms
• Command staff: Chief Chad Helms, Capt. Mike Pruneau; Lt. Billy Reese; Detective Sgt. Eddie Robinson; Patrol Sgt. Kyle Boyer; patrol corporals Jeremy Meyers, Jack Montgomery and Curtis James
• Employees: 22, including 19 officers, two communications specialists, one administrative assistant
• School resource officers: The Crystal City School District pays approximately half of a full-time officer salary for additional police to respond to schools and school functions
• Minimum new officer training requirements: Complete 600 hours basic law enforcement training at a Police Academy; pass Missouri Peace Officer License Exam
• Minimum command staff training: Officers at all ranks are continually training
• Minimum officer continuous training: Complete 24 hours of continuing law enforcement education annually; complete state training requirement of two hours interpersonal perspectives, two hours in legal studies, two hours in technical studies, two hours in firearms skill development and 16 hours in electives, which must include one hour in racial profiling, one hour in implicit bias and one hour in de-escalation
• Police dogs: None
• Equipment cost covered by city: Uniforms, duty belt, ballistic vest, vest carrier, firearms and stun gun for more than $4,000
• Total vehicles: 15
• Vehicle inventory: Marked and unmarked patrol cars.
• Cameras: Dashboard cameras; four Flock license-plate reading cameras; no body cameras
• Community programs: Ride-along program for potential future police officers who are enrolled in a police academy; Shop with a Cop; annual National Night Out event

De Soto Police Department

• Address: 17 Boyd Street
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-586-8891
• Website: desotomo.com
• Coverage area: 4.4 square miles
• Annual budget: $2.4 million (police/communications/code enforcement)
• Funding sources: 1-cent public safety sales tax; city’s operating fund
• Starting officer salary: $53,137
• Maximum officer salary: $78,111
• Benefits: City funds employee standard health insurance. Employees pay for vision, dental and family coverage.
• 2024 benefits cost: $1.76 million
• 2025 projected salaries, benefits cost: $2.43 million
• 2024 calls for service: 22,387
• 2025 calls for service: 26,303 through Oct. 22
• Chief: Jeff McCreary
• Command staff: Chief Jeff McCreary, Capt. Jeff Wynn, Sgt. Craig Newberry, Sgt. Josh Danback, Cpl. Jacob Schurman and Cpl. Michael Schneider
• Employees: 15 police officers, 6 communication officers and 1 clerical
• School resource officers: None
• Minimum new officer training requirements: Class A peace officer license; MIRMA requires additional training
• Minimum command staff training: Corporal: associate degree preferred; sergeant, associate degree required, bachelor’s degree preferred; captain: bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum officer continuous training: Annual certifications required by Missouri P.O.S.T. Commission must be completed along with firearms training
• Police dogs: None
• Equipment cost covered by city: Weapons are about $2,300 per officer; Vests are about $800 per officer; uniforms and other dress items are about $1,200 per officer.
• Total vehicles: 14
• Vehicle inventory: 10 patrol vehicles, two administrative vehicles, one investigative vehicle, one code enforcement vehicle
• Cameras: body cameras for each officer and code enforcement officer; four Flock license-plate reading cameras through private partnerships; no dashboard cameras
• Community programs: participation in Shop with a Cop programs

Eureka Police Department

• Address: 120 City Hall Drive
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-938-6601
• Website: eureka.mo.us
• Coverage area: 10-plus square miles
• Annual budget: $5.7 million
• Funding sources: Sales tax, Proposition P, Proposition E, state grants, department reimbursement for Rockwood school resource officer
• Starting officer salary: $63,435.23
• Maximum officer salary: $80,304.43
• Benefits: City fully funds individual employee health insurance; additional cost to add family to plan
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: $4,396,471.91
• 2025 projected salaries, benefits cost: $5,006,900
• 2024 calls for service: 29,296
• 2025 calls for service: 18,235 as of Sept. 30
• Chief: Michael Werges
• Command staff: Chief Michael Werges, Capt. Michael Tapp, Lt. Brett Grittini
• Employees: 29 officers, four civilian staff members
• School resource officers: Two; one at Eureka High School, one at Pathways School
• Minimum new officer training requirements: Class A certification with Missouri POST Commission. Sergeants required to have bachelor’s degree or be working on one to be promoted to the position
• Minimum command staff training: Minimum of a bachelor’s degree, graduate of the Missouri Police Chiefs Command College
• Minimum officer continuous training: Maintain class A Missouri POST license; conduct required training specified by insurance provider; officers required to complete eight hours of squad-level training bi-monthly. On average, officers complete more than 100 hours of training annually in a variety of disciplines
• Police dogs: None
• Equipment cost covered by city: Average about $10,000 per officer, including firearm, uniform and radio; officers are issued a Glock 17, 9 mm pistol, and all officers are trained and equipped with a patrol rifle, less-lethal shotgun and tasers
• Total vehicles: 25
• Vehicle inventory: 17 patrol vehicles, three detective bureau vehicles, three command staff vehicles, two UTVs
• Cameras: 22 body cameras, with 20 in the patrol division and two with the school resource officers; 15 in-car cameras
• Community programs: Hot dog barbecue for high school seniors, community pool openings, Special Olympics, summer youth police academy, regularly attend senior lunches and chamber of commerce events

Festus Police Department

• Address: 100 Park Ave
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-937-3646
• Website: festusmo.gov
• Coverage area: 6 square miles.
• Annual budget: $6.4 million (police and dispatch)
• Funding sources: public safety tax, city’s operating budget, grants
• Starting officer salary: $26.50 an hour
• Maximum officer salary: $78,642.56
• Benefits: City pays for health, dental and vision insurance; employee may pay to add family to plan
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: $3.8 million
• 2025 projected salaries, benefits cost: $4.65 million
• 2024 calls for service: 22,500
• 2025 calls for service: 19,030 as of Sept. 30
• Chief: Doug Wendel
• Command staff: Chief Doug Wendel, Capt. Lewis Pippin, Detective Sgt. Alec Litzau, Sgt. Ben Drummond, Cpl. Jaclyn Duffner, Cpl. Racheal Bailey, Cpl. Curt Pullen, Cpl. Bryan Agee, Cpl. Kelsey Schleusner, Cpl. Adam Peery and SRO Cpl. Mike Cavaness.
• Employees: 32 police officers, eight dispatchers and three clerical staff
• School resource officers: four
• Minimum new officer training requirements: High school diploma or GED and Class A Peace Officer Standards and Training certificate
• Minimum command staff training: Sergeants must have at least an associate degree, and captain and chief must have at least a bachelor’s degree
• Minimum officer continuous training: Officers must have at least 24 continuing education hours a year, including two hours of firearms training, one hour of racial profiling, one hour of deescalation training, and one hour of implicit bias training. Yearly certifications in taser, less lethal, defensive tactics and active shooter, along with several in-house training sessions
• Police dogs: None
• Equipment cost covered by city: Handgun, patrol rifle, shotgun, taser, bullet proof vest, rifle rated outer vest and ballistic helmet, costing about $5,000 per officer.
• Total vehicles: 33
• Vehicle inventory: 20 patrol vehicles; two traffic unit vehicles; one DWI enforcement vehicle; four SRO vehicles; three detective bureau vehicles; two administration vehicles and one pickup truck for miscellaneous details
• Cameras: 27 dash cameras; 27 body cameras; and 10 Flock license plate reading cameras
• Community programs: Participation in Festus Home Owners Association; Jeffco Shop With a Cop; Missouri Special Olympics; Dunkin Donuts Cop on a Rooftop; Tip a Cop at Texas Roadhouse; and several other activities/organizations

Herculaneum Police Department

• Address: 1 Parkwood Court
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-797-9999
• Website: cityofherculaneum.gov
• Coverage area: 4.5 square miles
• Annual budget: $1,486,700
• Funding sources: 1/2-cent sales tax for police and fire; city’s operating fund
• Starting officer salary: $53,000
• Maximum officer salary: $61,500
• Benefits: City provided insurance with employees contributing $75 per month
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: $1,215,500
• 2025 salaries, benefits cost: $1,250,000
• 2024 calls for service: 14,709
• 2025 calls for service: 9,234 through September 30
• Chief: Sharia Kyle
• Command staff: Capt. Mark Grobe
• Employees: 15, including 12 officers, one clerical staff member and two part-time employees
• School resource officers: None
• Minimum new officer training requirements: Complete 600 hours basic law enforcement training at a Police Academy; pass Missouri Peace Officer License Exam
• Minimum command staff training: Command staff holds numerous certifications and leadership classes in multiple categories as well as supervisory experience
• Minimum officer continuous training: Complete 24 hours of continuing law enforcement education annually; complete state training requirement of two hours interpersonal perspectives, two hours in legal studies, two hours in technical studies, two hours in firearms skill development and 16 hours in electives, which must include one hour in racial profiling, one hour in implicit bias and one hour in de-escalation
• Police dogs: None
• Equipment cost covered by city: Uniform items and weapons, with an approximate cost of $10,000 per officer
• Total vehicles: 11
• Vehicle inventory: 11 patrol vehicles
• Cameras: 12 body cameras, 11 dashboard cameras, two Flock license-plate reading cameras
• Community programs: Shop with a cop and RUOK (Are You OK) service for elderly residents

Hillsboro Police Department

• Address: 101 Main Street
• Non-emergency phone number: Administrative line: 636-797-5229 or Jefferson County 911 non-emergency line at 636-797-9999
• Website: hillsboromo.gov
• Coverage Area: 3.8 square miles
• Annual budget: $1.3 million
• Funding sources: 1/2 cent sales tax allocated from the city
• Starting officer salary: $48,089
• Maximum officer salary: $54,299
• Benefits: City fully funds medical, vision and dental; education stipends are offered to those with varying college degrees.
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: $917,000
• 2025 projected salaries, benefits cost: $1.1 million
• 2024 calls for service: 3,663
• 2025 calls for service: 1,766 as of Oct. 6
• Chief: Darrick Curtis
• Command staff: Chief Darrick Curtis
• Employees: 12 full-time officers (including command staff); two clerical staff members; various reserve officers.
• School resource officers: Two assigned to the Hillsboro R-3 School District
• Minimum new officer training requirements: All officers must meet the state requirements set by the Peace Officer Standards and Training commission; most officers have also completed CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training; school resource officers have completed appropriate SRO school; others are trained in weapons/defensive tactics, investigations/crime scene processing and traffic enforcement/safety
• Minimum command staff training: No specific additional training required for command staff
• Minimum officer continuous training: Officers must complete state requirements for continuing education by the POST commission; officers also complete refresher courses in intermediate weapons such as batons, pepper spray, tasers, firearms training and more annually; leadership and team development opportunities are offered as well
• Police dogs: None
• Equipment cost covered by city: The police department covers all costs for outfitting officers, and officers are given an annual uniform allowance, with an approximate cost of $2,500 to fully equip a new officer with a pistol, rifle, protective vest, heavy-duty ballistic plates and a medical trauma kit
• Vehicle inventory: 12, plus three unmarked vehicles assigned to administrative staff and one Polaris UTV
• Cameras: 12 body cameras; four Flock license plate-recognition cameras; eight dashboard cameras
• Community programs: Jeffco Shop with a Cop and community outreach events at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

• Addresses: Headquarters, 400 First St., Hillsboro; Criminal Investigations Division and Forensic Crime Lab, 1177 Mason Circle Drive, Pevely; Dillion Substation, 26 Dillion Plaza Drive, High Ridge; Seckman Valley Substation, 3055 Lions Den Road, Imperial
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-797-5000
• Website: jcsd.org
• Coverage area: 664 square miles
• Annual budget: $36,305,960
• Funding sources: 1/2-cent safety sales tax; 30.96 cents per $100 valuation property tax; Jefferson County government general revenue; grants; reimbursements from school districts for school resource officer salaries, municipal contracts, service fees, other contracts, federal forfeiture funds, court costs for jail security, deputy training and inmate services at Jefferson County Jail
• Starting deputy salary: $61,261
• Maximum officer salary: $76,298
• Benefits: Jefferson County contributes $785.57 monthly toward medical insurance
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: $20,919,637
• 2025 salaries, benefits cost: $24,197,462
• 2024 calls for service: 65,990
• 2025 calls for service: 55,721 through Sept. 30
• Sheriff: Dave Marshak
• Command staff: Lt. Colonel Tim Whitney, chief financial officer and undersheriff; Maj. Andy Sides; captains Matt Moore and Brian Taylor; lieutenants Rob Peter, Mark Nardoni, Mike Merchant, Gerald Williams, William Whitely and Chris Hoffman.
• Employees: 252, including 175 deputies and 77 civilian positions
• School resource officers: Seven full-time and several part-time assigned to schools in De Soto, Fox C-6, Grandview R-2, Jefferson R-7, Northwest R-1 and Windsor C-1 school districts
• Minimum new officer training requirements: Complete 600 hours basic law enforcement training at a Police Academy; pass Missouri Peace Officer License Exam; three months of field training with a training officer
• Minimum command staff training: Maintain accreditation and proficiency in area of expertise
• Minimum officer continuous training: Complete 24 hours of continuing law enforcement education annually; complete state training requirement of two hours legal studies, two hours technical studies, two hours interpersonal perspectives, two hours firearms skill development, one hour on racial profiling and 16 hours electives in any of the core areas; additional certifications for SWAT, crime scene, latent print, DNA, computer forensics, DWI and drug chemistry
• Police dogs: Five
• Equipment cost covered by county: Approximately $74,000 per officer for uniforms, handgun, rifle, shotgun, taser, OC spray, baton, radio, take-home vehicles and licenses for equipment, computer and software
• Total vehicles: 190
• Vehicle inventory: Patrol vehicles, four crime scene vans, two armored SWAT vehicles, equipment truck, Special Operations Mobile Command Post, Crisis Response Team utility truck and narcotics vehicles
• Cameras: 17 Flock license-plate reading cameras; no body or dashboard cameras
• Community programs: Biannual 12-week Citizens Academy; partners in the Jeffco Shop with a Cop program; participates in parades, fairs, public safety presentations, Special Olympics fundraising, Prom safe events, community meetings, trunk or treats and numerous other community events

Pevely Police Department

• Address: 401 Main St, Pevely.
• Non-emergency phone number: 636-475-4498
• Website: cityofpevelymo.gov
• Coverage area: 6 square miles
• Annual budget: Didn’t provide information
• Funding sources: Didn’t provide information
• Starting officer salary: Didn’t provide information
• Maximum officer salary: Didn’t provide information
• Benefits: Insurance is fully funded
• 2024 salaries, benefits cost: Didn’t provide information.
• 2025 projected salaries, benefits cost: Didn’t provide information
• 2024 calls for service: 17,594
• 2025 calls for service: 13,349 as of Sept. 11
• Chief: Pevely officials have sought to fill the vacant position since former Chief Mark Glenn, who has experienced long-term health issues, left the position the last week of August; City Administrator Andy Hixson said on Oct. 22 that the search for a new police chief was at the interviewing stage
• Command staff: Since Glenn left as chief, Capt. Don Moore and Lt. Jamie Mayberry have run the department’s day-to-day operations, with Hixson overseeing the overall department
• Employees: 11 officers; two clerical workers, one animal control officer and six in dispatch
• School resource officers: None.
• Minimum new officer training requirements: Didn’t provide information
• Minimum command staff training: Didn’t provide information
• Minimum officer continuous training: Didn’t provide information
• Police dogs: None.
• Equipment cost covered by city: The city pays for a gun, a Taser and pepper spray for each officer
• Total vehicles: 13
• Vehicle inventory: 12 vehicles and one Humvee, which is used as a display car only
• Cameras: Pevely has some cameras but no specifics were given about how many or what kind
• Community programs: Department participates in Shop with a Cop, High Five Friday at Pevely Elementary and collects school supplies

Area law enforcement agencies grapple with staffing, technology, funding

By Tony Krausz

Law enforcement agencies face a plethora of challenges, but two of the most difficult are recruiting and retaining officers and keeping up with changing technology. To effectively combat those problems, more funding is needed, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak and chiefs at local police departments.

“There are hundreds of challenges, but funding, recruitment, retention and employee satisfaction continue to be overall priorities,” Marshak said.

Along with attracting and keeping qualified officers, law enforcement agencies need to keep up with new technology that may be used to both commit and solve crimes, Arnold Police Chief Brian Carroll said.

Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Shane Frazier and Arnold Police Detective Clinton Bequette have worked together in the Sheriff’s Office computer forensics division to examine mobile devices, cell phones and tablets.

Frazier said the Sheriff’s Office started its computer forensics division in 2017, and he examined fewer than 75 devices that first year.

Last year, Frazier and Bequette examined 168 mobile phones, 17 hard drives, and 19 other devices from vehicles to flash drives.

“Keeping up with changing technology is a constant challenge for our Police Department,” Carroll said. “It has helped that we have formed a partnership with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and assigned a detective to their computer forensics division. (Running the division) is very costly, and combining resources with the Sheriff’s Office has made sense from a funding standpoint.”

Crystal City Police Chief Chad Helms said not only do law enforcement agencies need to purchase new technological tools, but also departments need officers who can use the new tools.

“The need for an officer to have this skill set is becoming a must,” he said.

Festus Police Chief Doug Wendel said as a city’s population grows, typically that puts a bigger strain on department budgets, adding that tax revenue does not always keep up with the need to hire additional officers.

“Our biggest challenge is an increase in the number of calls for service,” he said. “Between single family homes and apartments, (Festus) has added over 500 residences in the last few years. With this population increase, our calls for service have also increased.

“We now need to wait for the sales tax generated by this population growth to increase where we can hire additional manpower.”

Eureka Police Chief Michael Werges said that city also has seen an increase in calls for service, creating a challenge for his department. He said increased calls in Eureka are often due to the city’s proximity to I-44 and people flocking to the Six Flags St. Louis amusement park or attending popular events held in the city every year.

“We must carefully balance manpower and resources to manage the large influxes of visitors, all while ensuring our residents continue to receive the personal, community-focused service they expect and deserve,” he said.

Salary struggles

Chiefs with the Byrnes Mill, Crystal City, De Soto, Herculaneum, Hillsboro, Jefferson College and Pevely police departments also said one of their biggest challenges is recruiting and retaining officers.

Herculaneum Police Chief Sharia Kyle said due to that city’s budget constraints, many officers will look to work for other departments that have more funding.

“St. Louis County municipalities typically offer more pay and are hurting for people, so we often lose officers because they can make substantially more going north,” Kyle said.

The minimum starting salary for a St. Louis County Police officer is $62,004 a year, according to the department’s website.

In Jefferson County and the surrounding area, only the Arnold Police Department, which pays a minimum annual salary of $72,779.20, and the Eureka Police Department, which pays a minimum salary of $63,435.23, offer higher salaries for first-year officers.

The Sheriff’s Office’s starting salary of $61,261 a year is slightly lower than the St. Louis County Police’s starting salary. The next highest starting salary after the Sheriff’s Office is $58,000 at the Crystal City Police Department.

Festus Police officers start at $55,120 annually, and the De Soto Police Department’s starting salary is $53,137.

The Herculaneum Police Department pays an annual starting salary of $53,000, and the Brynes Mill Police Department’s starting salary is $53,000.

At the Hillsboro Police Department, the starting yearly salary is $48,089.60, and the Jefferson College Police Department pays a $37,960 salary for a first-year officer.

The Pevely Police Department did not provide salary information for this story.

“We simply don’t have the tax base that would allow us to stay competitive with some of the larger agencies, especially in St. Louis County,” Hillsboro Police Chief Darrick Curtis said. “We have to work with what we have.”

Helms said recruiting and retaining officers is key to any law enforcement agency’s success.

“A police officer must have a strong desire to protect and serve and be good at a lot of different tasks to be successful,” he said. “Officers must be good decision makers and good communicators. The police business is now very expensive, and the employee market is very competitive. I must be able to offer employees a competitive wage to maintain the quality of personnel that can provide the safety our community expects and deserves. I must keep a great team on the field.”

Recruiting

Since the Hillsboro Police Department does not have the funds to compete with some area departments, it focuses on finding officers who fit the city, Curtis said.

“There are those out there who are less focused on the pay, but want the lifestyle and work environment we offer,” he said. “We have an incredibly close-knit community, and officers who want to be part of that.”

The way police departments direct officers to police communities also is important to bring in and keep candidates, a local law enforcement leader said.

Byrnes Mill Police Chief Frank T. Selvaggio said his department is community oriented, which is attractive to some officers.

“We believe in building strong relationships with our residents and businesses, which translates to better communication and trust,” he said. “We have a philosophy of making a positive impact within this community at every opportunity.”

Curtis said it is important for officers to become part of the community they police.

“I want officers who are out in the community talking to residents and business owners about issues and how we can solve them before they reach the level of police involvement,” he said. “I do not want to be a department that floats aloft, descends to fix an issue, only to disappear again.”

Werges said it is important for officers to build trust through transparency, accountability and community partnership.

“Guided by the values of 21st-century policing, the department emphasizes fairness, respect and collaboration to create a safe and resilient community for all,” he said.

Carroll said the Arnold Police Department draws from different styles of policing, such as the traditional, community-oriented and problem-solving models.

“Traditional policing is certainly our foundation,” he said. “We are very proactive in enforcing laws, and we maintain a visible presence to deter crime. Community policing is at the heart of what we do every day. We prioritize building trust through transparency, outreach and partnerships with our residents and businesses.

“We also embrace problem-solving policing. Our officers are encouraged to identify recurring issues and work closely within the department and with the community to find long-term solutions.”

Marshak said the Sheriff’s Office defaults to “community policing,” but there is not a one-size-fits-all approach for how individual deputies and officers execute their duties.

“Officers are uniquely different from their upbringing, education, experience, training and motivation,” he said. “Our goal is to put officers in the right positions to best serve the community. At the same time, we have a responsibility to coach employees to achieve their own goals.”

Visit www.myleaderpaper.com/series/police_departments to keep up with the series.