St. Louis legislators push for local control of police department

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A group of St. Louis-area legislators is pushing a new bill to give the city local control over its police department.

The Board of Aldermen recently expressed its support for local control. Now, the St. Louis delegation wants to pursue it in the state Legislature.

State Representative T.D. El-Amin said he planned to introduce the bill Monday. He and other legislators say a new coalition with rural lawmakers might help them pass the bill after failing to do so many years in the past.

The St. Louis City Police Department has been run by an independent board controlled by Missouri's governor since the Civil War.