St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis police commanders will receive raises of up to 22% under a plan approved by the Board of Police Commissioners. In a 4-1 vote, Mayor Cara Spencer was the lone no vote.

The approval of the pay hikes triggers identical raises for higher-ranking members of the St. Louis Fire Department, setting off a mad scramble by the city to find the $1.45 million needed to cover those salary costs in the budget that starts July 1.

The police board had delayed a vote on the raises to give Spencer and her administration time to start those conversations, but her anger with the timing was still palpable on Wednesday.

“Policing doesn’t happen well in a vacuum, and unfortunately the decisions of this board are happening in a vacuum,” Spencer said. “They’re not happening in concert and collaboration with the other city departments that we, as a community, rely on in order to have a safe and healthy and successful city.”

Find the full story below. ⬇️ https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-06-18/st-louis-police-board-approves-command-raises

Juan Cox was officially sworn in as the St. Louis County Police Department’s chief Wednesday at the county government building in Clayton.

Juan Cox officially sworn in as chief of the St. Louis County Police Department The Board of Police Commissioners held a short ceremony Wednesday at the county government building in Clayton.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District issued a precautionary advisory Wednesday warning of possible sewage backups in downtown St. Louis basements.

MSD officials said last week’s water main break and street collapse under Interstate 44 may increase the risk of basement flooding when it rains.

Giant hole could lead to sewage backup during storms, St. Louis sewer officials warn The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District issued a precautionary advisory for possible basement backups in the area of a water main break and street collapse near Broadway and Biddle.