Brentwood police told the Public Safety Committee on June 25 that a wave of vehicle break-ins and stolen cars in early June prompted a temporary night-watch, additional investigative work and plans to join a regional crime-reduction task force.

The police chief (name not provided in the transcript) said the city was “part of what we are calling the onslaught of nighttime crime” that began June 8, including numerous car break‑ins, five stolen vehicles and scattered incidents at retail and residential locations. “We initiated a nighttime task force ... on June 16 ... we put 4 officers on our night watch with a supervisor,” the chief said, adding the shift’s goal was to use spike strips if drivers fled.

Why it matters: the incidents matched patterns elsewhere in the St. Louis area, the chief said, and at least one suspected crew has been arrested. Brentwood’s police department is also preparing to join a larger regional enforcement effort organized by sheriff’s and municipal partners and supported by a governor’s office crime-reduction initiative; the department expects that regional task force to start in August.

Committee members asked about the department’s automated license-plate cameras. The chief said Flock cameras have been useful for identifying vehicles that pass through low‑traffic areas at night, but noted suspects sometimes switch plates after taking a stolen car, which can reduce camera effectiveness.

The department reported seven felony fleeing incidents tied to vehicle pursuits since mid‑June and 67 “felony hits” from Flock camera matches so far this year, the chief said. He also said one of the stolen vehicles recovered in Brentwood yielded a suspect arrest after a chase.

The police report included personnel updates: Corporal Scott Worth is scheduled to retire July 3. The chief said the department currently has two open positions, has struggled with regional recruiting competition and will run a promotional process with testing on July 16 for corporal vacancies. The department has relied on experienced lateral hires in recent months, the chief told the committee.

The police also invited aldermen to visit an officer range in late September for demonstrations of defensive tools and less‑lethal equipment; the department said it will circulate several dates.

The department’s annual accreditation review was also addressed; the chief said the department completed its two‑year accreditation checkup (transcript used the term “CALIA,” which the department clarified as CALEA accreditation during the meeting).

No formal motions or ordinances were taken on these items; the report was received for committee information.

Ending: Committee members did not ask for immediate policy changes but said they welcomed further updates as the regional task force and staffing/promotional steps proceed.