Section 84.010

Title VII CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES

Chapter 84

Effective - 03 Apr 1958, 2 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  84.010.  City ordinances not to conflict with powers of board of police commissioners — emergency (St. Louis). — In all cities of this state that now have, or may hereafter attain, a population of seven hundred thousand inhabitants or over, the common council or municipal assembly, as the case may be, of such cities may pass ordinances for preserving order, securing property and persons from violence, danger or destruction, protecting public and private property, and for promoting the interests and insuring the good government of the cities; but no ordinances heretofore passed, or that may hereafter be passed, by the common council or municipal assembly of the cities, shall, in any manner, conflict or interfere with the powers or the exercise of the powers of the boards of police commissioners of the cities as created by section 84.020, nor shall the cities or any officer or agent of the corporation of the cities, or the mayor thereof, in any manner impede, obstruct, hinder or interfere with the boards of police or any officer, or agent or servant thereof or thereunder, except that in any case of emergency imminently imperiling the lives, health or safety of the inhabitants of the city, the mayor may call upon and direct the chief of police of the city to provide such number of officers and patrolmen to meet the emergency as the mayor determines to be necessary and the chief of police shall continue to act under the direction of the mayor until the emergency has ceased, or until the board of police commissioners takes charge of such matter.

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(RSMo 1939 § 7688, A.L. 1958 2d Ex. Sess. p. 152)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 7540; 1919 § 8950; 1909 § 9802

(1962) Ordinance of the City of St. Louis which required any real estate agent when placing a “For sale” sign on any real estate to indicate on the sign the zoning area in which the property was located held valid. City of St. Louis v. Green (Mo.), 353 S.W.2d 606.

(1990)  Where statute sets forth the division of authority between the city and the board of police commissioners and neither the city nor its agents possess the authority to make official policy concerning the actions of the board of police commissioners or individual police officer, the city cannot be liable for deprivation of civil rights under 42 U.S.C. 1983 for approving or condoning actions of police officers who allegedly beat the plaintiff.  Crigler v. City of St. Louis, Mo., 767 F.Supp. 197 (E.D. Mo.).