Lawsuit aims to stop state takeover of SLMPD

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - ArchCity Defenders has filed a lawsuit to stop the state takeover of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

The organization filed the lawsuit on behalf of two St. Louis residents, Jamala Rogers and Mike Milton.

The lawsuit alleges that the state takeover law ed by the Missouri legislature violates the Missouri Constitution by imposing special legislation on a singular jurisdiction and levying an unfunded mandate against City taxpayers.

This is the second lawsuit filed in Missouri state court challenging the new state law on police control. Aldermanic Board President Megan Green’s lawsuit from May claims the law violates her First Amendment rights and contains multiple subjects.

“We have a state legislature that says we don’t care what you want,” said Jamala Rogers.

Activists Jamala Rogers and Mike Milton explained why they filed a lawsuit challenging state control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

“This is not a matter of safety but a matter of sovereignty, of self-determination,” said Milton.

This past spring, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a bill into law that would put SLMPD into the hands of a five-member police board of commissioners, mostly picked by the governor.

“I think Chief Tracy and his command staff have done a fabulous job with limited resources. We hope this gives them another tool to continue to serve,” said Governor Kehoe in March after he signed the bill.

But Thursday, Milton and Rogers, with the help of ArchCity Defenders, stated the new law is unconstitutional.

They claim it imposes special legislation on just one city and it “will subject the City to an unfunded mandate that diverts resources away from needed programs to prevent crime.”

“It’s really problematic, especially when you’re not getting ,” said Alderman Rasheen Aldridge.

Alderman Rasheen Aldridge spoke on the portion of the new law that requires the city to slowly raise its police budget. By 2028, the city must spend at least 25% of its budget on the police department.

“We’re not underfunding the police,” said Aldridge.

Aldridge points out that the city has had a surplus in its police budget the last several years—meaning the department did not spend all the money it received from the city—largely due to unfilled officer positions.

“The issue is that field for policing isn’t really popular,” said Aldridge.

And while he says the city is doing fine financially now, he worries over the next several years the city could face a shortfall—especially with extra expenses expected due to the tornado—and they’d be forced to either raise taxes or cut city services, neither of which he s.

“Picking up people’s trash, making sure that our streets are paved, all that stuff is critical,” said Aldridge. “So I think we’re fine now, but I’m nervous for what that looks like in the future,” said Aldridge.

Aldridge also argues policing could be worse, saying the way he interprets the bill, city lawmakers like himself would not be able to work with police on making the city safer, as that would be the board’s responsibility.

President Green’s lawsuit specifically challenges that portion of the law.

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