Maryville commissioners approve traffic unit order after chief reports high call volume and new false-alarm enforcement

The Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners of the Town of Maryville on Sept. 5 voted to adopt General Order 17.7 establishing a traffic unit after the police chief presented July operations statistics and described a new ordinance aimed at reducing false alarm calls. Chief Keppel, Maryville police chief, told commissioners the department fielded 2,615 calls for service in July, generating “4,561 officer responses.” He said the department made 125 adult arrests and one juvenile arrest, handled 117 accident reports, conducted 406 traffic stops that produced 411 citations, investigated 14 domestic battery cases and 18 thefts, and responded to “approximately 157 false alarm calls.” The chief said, “we do have a new ordinance now that's going to be addressing these false alarm calls and some of these excessive police calls for service that we have already started issuing violations to those who are being bad actors in town.” He also said two officers are scheduled to be assigned to the traffic unit on Sept. 15 and that the department expects “really good results with this traffic unit in place.” The board’s adoption of General Order 17.7 was made by motion, seconded and approved by roll call. The chief’s report was accepted separately by motion before the order vote. Why it matters: Commissioners linked the high call volume and traffic enforcement need to the creation of the traffic unit and to enforcement of the false-alarm ordinance. The traffic unit is a directed operational change with a scheduled start date; the ordinance enforcement is already underway per the chief’s report but was presented as an informational update rather than as a separate board action. Supporting details: The general order was moved by Commissioner Dragovich and seconded by Commissioner Rich; roll call votes recorded commissioners voting in the affirmative. The chief reported the July statistics and described both the ordinance enforcement and the Sept. 15 traffic unit assignment. The board did not debate or amend the general order during the meeting. Next steps: The traffic unit assignment is scheduled for Sept. 15. The chief did not provide a multiweek implementation timeline or metrics for measuring the unit’s impact beyond the stated expectation of increased enforcement results.