(Missouri Digital News) -- Missouri voters will decide if St. Louis City will gain control of its police force on the November ballot. St. Louis and Kansas City are the only two cities in the country that have police forces governed by a state board.
For the past few decades, St. Louis has tried to regain control of its police department, but the legislature has been unable to pass the measure.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay is a longtime advocate of local control.
"We're looking for accountability, we're looking for efficiency, we're looking to save money and we're also looking to make a better department that is going to help reduce crime in our city as well," Slay said.
Currently, the St. Louis police department is controlled by a five-member board, with four appointments made by the governor and the mayor as the fifth member.
Supporters said passage of this proposition will hold police officers more accountable and will help eliminate the high levels of crime in the city.
The American Civil Liberties Union says passage would limit citizen input and deny them a civilian review board.
Slay said the ACLU has already taken this issue to court and the case was dismissed.
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