Statement of Purpose, Vision and Mission
Statement of Purpose
We, the members of the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis are committed to excellence in law enforcement and are dedicated to the citizens and diversity of our great city. We are committed to serving the community while protecting the rights of each and every citizen. Our Mission Statement and Core Values serve as guides for the work we do every day to protect those who live, work and visit the City of St. Louis.
Vision Statement
The Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis strives to rid the community of crime and public disorder while maintaining the highest standards of excellence in policing and delivering quality service to our community. We will achieve this by utilizing advanced training for officers and the implementation of cutting edge technology to create a safe environment for our citizens and visitors.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis is to protect, serve and assist citizens when conditions arise that may affect the well-being of the individual or the community. Cooperating with others in the community, officers will work to prevent and detect crime, protect life and property, and achieve a peaceful society, free from the fear of crime and disorder. Members of the Department will strive continually for excellence and maintain the peace through lawfulness, diversity, service, integrity, leadership and fair treatment to all.
Core Values
REVERENCE FOR THE LAW
We have been granted a great responsibility, the honor and privilege of upholding the law. We support and defend the Constitution of the United States. We will obey and support the letter and spirt of the law. We will exercise integrity in the use of power and authority given to us by the people. Our personal and professional behavior should be a model for all to follow. We always do the right thing, the lawful act, regardless of whether anyone is watching.
DIVERSITY
We recognize our differences as a strength in our organization and our community. We embrace the diversity of our nation and our city. We promote diversity in our thinking and we encourage diversity and inclusion in our workforce.
SERVICE
We are dedicated to enhancing public safety in the City of St. Louis by reducing crime and the fear of crime. To protect and serve the St. Louis community is our greatest honor and privilege and we will do so in a manner that is fair, courteous, responsive, and efficient. We will work hand in hand with members of our community to solve problems that effect public safety.
INTEGRITY
We are committed to the highest standards of honesty and ethical conduct. We will conduct ourselves in a manner that merits respect, demonstrating honest and ethical behavior at all times – both on and off duty.
LEADERSHIP
We expect all personnel, both civilian and commissioned, to be leaders within our organization and within the community we serve. We lead by example, mentoring and empowering our personnel with the best training and support to develop future leaders. We develop leaders who are committed to incorporating our core values and department mission into each task and assignment. As leaders we show the way in our community by going first and taking the lead, and then graciously guiding those who follow.
FAIR TREATMENT TO ALL
We act with fairness and impartiality in our daily duties. We work with the community to overcome cultural influences and implicit biases. We treat all individuals with respect and dignity, regardless of their age, race, gender, appearance, individual beliefs or life style. We understand that our legitimacy as police officers comes from earning and maintaining the public’s trust. We will maintain honesty, integrity, and consistent discipline within our organization to maintain credibility with the community.
A Statement on the Value of Human Life
The primary responsibility of this Department and each of its members is to protect the lives of the citizens we are sworn to serve. It is also the duty of each member of the Department to honor the established principles of democracy upon which this country was founded. Among these principles is the most profound reverence for human life, the value of which far exceeds that of any property. In view of this, it is essential that every action of this Department and of each of its members be consistent with that responsibility. For these reasons, it is appropriate that this Statement on the Value of Human Life embodies the spirit of the Department and sets forth the principles and policies which guide the conduct of every Department employee.
In recognition, therefore, of the commitment by of this Department to the preserve preservation of human life, and because of the public trust empowering which empowers sworn police officers to lawfully exercise force – even deadly force, when required – in carrying out that commitment, it is hereby declared to be the policy of this Department that (1) the use of deadly force will never be condoned as a routine response; and (2) police officers will exercise the highest degree of care in the application of such force.