Wellston disbands police department

WELLSTON, Mo. -- The St. Louis County town of Wellston has disbanded its police department.

The Wellston City Council voted Monday to use officers from neighboring Vinita Park to patrol Wellston. Wellston's police chief blamed dirty politics, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the mayor told him it was a financial issue.

The vote to get rid of the Wellston force was 4-2 in a closed session, according to Councilwoman Linda Garner, who opposed the move. She was angry the decision was made without public discussion.

G. Thomas Walker was chief of the Wellston department, which had 23 total employees, including 17 patrol officers. He said the budget was so tight, officers had to buy their own supplies and even occasionally pooled money to buy food for jail inmates.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com