City of St Louis Metropolitan Police Department
City of Saint Louis Missouri
Patrol Support
Traffic Safety - Mounted Patrol - Mobile Reserve - Canine - Public Transportation - Aviation
In 1925 the Traffic Division was located at 208 South Twelfth in the Central District and Headquarters .
In 1939 the Traffic Division was located in Room 106-107 in Headquarters at 1200 Clark .
During the thirties the Traffic Divisions' Motorcycles were housed at Laclede Police Garage .
Traffic Division, Mobile Reserve and Canine were once located at Fifteenth and Spruce in the sixties to the late eighties .
The Mobile Reserve Unit was introduced in 1957 .
Fifteenth and Spruce circa 1975 .
Moblie Reserve - Traffic - Canine .
Originally a Mounted Patrol Stable .
Now the building is gone replaced by the Bi-State Bus and Train Hub .
In 2008 Patrol Support is now located at 4213 Gibson at Manchester .
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Scorching Squad
The city's first motorized traffic unit
Saint Louis Missouri
The 1904 Dorris Police Skidoodle Wagon used to catch " scorching ", a term of police slang .
The driver Chauffeur is William Sleuter, in the front passenger seat is Captain John Pikel, Commander Mounted Police,
and in the rear driver's side is Officer Stinger and rear passenger side is
Officer James Cooney who was the Mounted Officer assigned to catch speeders .
Officer Cooney rode in the auto with a justified vengeance as he once had to catch scorchers on horseback .
Scorching was that 1904 era's police slang for auto drivers driving at high speeds, the speed limit was six miles per hour .
In 1904 there was 939 auto license issued in the city and there was 298 violation summons issued by the Scorching Squad .
Thirty two percent ( 32% ) of the drivers of license auto in 1904 were scorching .
Mounted Police Officer James Cooney was reported to state in 1904
"Already captured twenty or more individuals of speedy automobiles
exceeding the limit prescribed by law to their sorrow .
They are just humanely dragged before the bar of justice of our
fair municipality, your honor, the judge, to explain
their fondness for dizzy whirls through the driveways of our petty city" .
A 1905 auto was one of the first autos purchased by the Saint Louis Police Department .
This car cost $1,800.00, seated five and could reach the speed of fifty miles per hour .
The company advertised auto's as being "Practically Hand Built"
and was made in Saint Louis by
St. Louis Motor Carriage Company
1211-13 North Vandeventer
and the company later to become .
Dorris Motor Car Company
4062-65 Forest Park
was later moved to the 4100 block Forest Park .
History Dorris Motor Car Company of Saint Louis Missouri
Missouri History Museum
George Dorris seated in the 1901 Dorris St. Louis Model Auto and built by the St. Louis Motor Carriage Car Company
Missouri History Museum
1899 Photo of St. Louis Motor Carriage Company factory 1211-13 North Vandeventer Avenue
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Police Auto
Saint Louis Missouri
Saint Louis Police Department Police Auto in the early years .
Some of the Classic Car Experts say this is a 1924 Packard .
Check out the Auto Gallery for Packard Autos
You make the decision, is the Packard a 24 or 25 or 26 or 27 ?
Missouri History Museum
1916 Photo of Packard Missouri Motors Company 2201 Locust Street
1916 Photo of interior Packard Missouri Motors Company 2201 Locust Street
In 1850 the City of Saint Louis Police Department purchased its first Black Maria .
The expansion of the City of Saint Louis was making it too difficult for patrolman to walk their suspects back to jail .
Early police vans were in the form of horse-drawn carriages,
with the carriage being a secure prison cell enclosed by iron bars .
On April 9, 1866 a Black Maria was purchased for $500.00 .
Photo on Clark in front on Four Courts .
In the modern age, motorized police vans replaced the older Black Maria and Paddy wagon types
as they were usually crudely adapted for accommodation of prisoners .
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Early Police Prisoner Wagon
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
1935 Police Prisoner Wagon
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Money Wagon
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Bus Accident
Saint Louis Missouri
Neighborhood Bus Accident
Police Van with bell
Ambulance
like the sign on left
CAUTION SLOW DOWN
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Armored Car
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Armored Vehicle
Saint Louis Missouri
Exterior
2006
Ballistic Engineered Armored Response
( BEAR )
produced by
Lenco Armored Vehicles
can hold 15 fully equipped Police Officers
or 25 to 30 evacuees
Interior
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Traffic Police Officer
Saint Louis Missouri
In 1907 the St. Louis Police Department purchased its first motorcycle .
In 1923 the St. Louis Police Department Traffic Division was created with 122 automoblies and 44 motorcycles .
In 1936 the St. Louis Police Department Traffic Division had 228 automobiles and 91 motorcycles .
Officers not assigned to motorcycles handled tri-car duty, mounted patrol, accident investigation,
fixed post duty and other assignments .
In 1959 the motorcycles were decommissioned and sold .
In 1971 the police department reinstated the motorcycle .
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Motor Cycle Squad
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo circa early 1935
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Motor Cycle Squad
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo circa early 1935
East side of Police Headquarters on Twelfth at Clark
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Motor Cycle Squad
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo circa 1937
Forest Park Expressway
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Motor Cycle Squad
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo circa early 1940's
Jefferson Memorial in Forest Park
Now the Missouri History Museum
The first Motor Cycle was introduced to the Saint Louis Police Department in 1907 .
The Saint Louis Police Department disbanded the Motor Cycle Squad in 1958 .
The Saint Louis Police Department reinstituted the two-wheelers Motor Cycle Squad in June 1971,
following three weeks' training at Riverdale Speedway in south St. Louis County .
Photo
of
Traffic Patrolman Ernest VonNida
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo
of
Patrolman Peter Herman
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo circa early 1950's
Location was downtown Saint Louis Missouri .
The first Saint Louis Police Tricar was introduced in 1948 .
Patrolman Peter Herman was known as " Pencil Pete " for the number of parking tags issued .
The police patrolman uniform of the day was a uniformed blouse coat, a tie, a hat and the white piping strips on the police trousers .
There was no helmet headgear .
Just don't get caught out of uniform by the inspectors or your captain !
All police vehicles were equipped with a clip board holder for the daily " hot sheets " .
Photo
of
1971 Motor Cycle under the Arch
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo circa early 1971 Motorcycle Officer under the Arch
Photo
of
Traffic Police Officer
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Saint Louis Missouri
Photo
of
City of Saint Louis Police Department
Traffic Police Officer in early 1980's
Saint Louis Missouri
Saint Louis Metro Police Air Support
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