Administration and Command of the Private Security Section

PURPOSE: Under section 84.340, RSMo, the St. Louis, Missouri Board of Police Commissioners has the authority to regulate and license all private security personnel, serving or acting as such, in St. Louis. These rules establish procedures, training, requirements and license fees for those persons so employed in the security field. (1) Board of Police Commissioners. The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners (also referred to as the board) is established by state statute and consists of five (5) members, four (4) of whom are appointed by the governor. The mayor of the City of St. Louis serves ex officio. The board has sole charge and control of the metropolitan police department of the City of St. Louis and of the licensing, regulation and discipline of all private security officers, private watchmen and couriers in the City of St. Louis. Private detectives are licensed by the license collector’s office of the City of St. Louis, not by the board of police commissioners. The board relegated that responsibility to the city license collector’s office. (2) Private Security Section. The private security section is responsible for the interviewing, investigating, processing, licensing, inspecting and supervising of all persons working or acting as licensed private watchmen or any other variety of titles in the City of St. Louis. The private security section is further responsible for issuing and transferring all such licenses, for reinstatements, for periodic inspection of license holders, for liaison with all suppliers of security personnel in the city, for maintenance of a personnel file on all applicants in the City of St. Louis and for publishing, within the department, information of all terminations of employment of security personnel. The private security section also conducts background investigations on private detective/investigator applicants as requested by the license collector’s office. The decision to issue a license is made by the license collector’s office. (3) Private Security Personnel. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department private security program has three (3) distinct classifications of personnel. A definition of each classification is listed as follows: (A) Private security officer. A person employed with certain police powers (as defined in 17 CSR 20-4.065) to protect life or property on or in designated premises. The private security officer’s powers exist only within the established property owned or leased by the contracting employer and to incidents occurring on the premises. The private security officer may carry a firearm providing this individual is qualified (as defined in 17 CSR 20-4.055). Authorization to carry a firearm is designated on the badge/identification (ID) card. The private security officer, whether armed or unarmed, may carry a slapper, baton, nightstick, aerosol tear gas and handcuffs; (B) Courier. A person employed to carry out the assignment of protecting and transporting property from one (1) designated area to another. The person shall be in an approved military style uniform. The courier has no power of arrest. The private courier may carry a firearm provided this individual is qualified (as defined in 17 CSR 20-4.055), which is designated on the badge/ID card; and (C) Private watchman. A person employed without police powers and without authorization to carry weapons or protective devices. This individual will perform the tasks of observation and reporting on or in a licensed premises or designated area. This may include patrolling the public street. The private watchman has a distinctive grey, military uniform. The private watchman has no power of arrest. Note: Only the private security officer and private courier classifications will be permitted to hold two (2) licenses. Each classification is licensed separately and functions as a distinct entity. (This licensing does not include the private watchmen classification.) AUTHORITY: section 84.340, RSMo 1986.* Original rule filed April 8, 1988, effective July 11, 1988. *Original authority: 84.340, RSMo 1939.