ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Officers from the North County Police Cooperative were on the streets of Flordell Hills for their first full day on the job Friday.
“We need help. You’ve got citizens who just want to live,” Alderman Richard Johnson said.
Johnson was relieved that his community has had police service for the first time since March 15. That’s when their previous police provider, Velda City Police, dissolved.
“We definitely saw a spike in crime around here,” Johnson said. “So I’m glad this is going out—criminals beware.”
Many citizens were finding out for the first time as officers were going door to door.
“We need that,” Resident Alberta Owens said after talking to officers about the new contract. “Just to see them riding around kind of puts a little ease to you.”
Flordell Hills is the 9th municipality now partnered with the North County Police Cooperative, a department founded nine years ago.
“It seems like that’s more and more where we‘re going, where police departments are entering that contract field,” Major Ron Martin told FOX 2.
Most other examples are smaller: Kirkwood has a contract to patrol Oakland, Chesterfield patrols Clarkson Valley, Ballwin handles neighboring Winchester.
The St. Louis County Police Department has the most contracts, currently patrolling 13 municipalities.
“We’re small. We’re 750 people,” Flordell Hills Mayor Joseph Noeth said. His town has risen from a dark time to get here; just a year ago, two city clerks went to prison for embezzlement.
Mayor Noeth added, “At times we lost hope, but we kept the faith. We got through it.”
Corporal Erica Frick says some citizens had no idea they could read police activity reports.
“Citations issued, warnings issued, citizen contacts that we make—everyday where each officer is required to make citizen contacts. That’s done on a daily basis for each shift. So, there’s two per day,” she said.
Major Martin commented, “We’re successful when our officers are getting out of the car.”
Alderman Johnson said, “Let’s just admit it: with a lot of police departments, you go through a lot of mumbo jumbo—a bunch of promises and no action. With this one, they had a bunch of checklists, and they marked every last one. And just the energy from these guys, I felt it. I knew—we’ll be ok.”
For emergency calls, dial 911. For non-emergency calls, dial North Central dispatch at (314) 428-6868.
The NCPC says you can call (314) 499-6090 for additional inquiries.
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