Webster Groves police chief reviews 2024, outlines community programs and staffing plans

Police Chief Pete Aceves told the Board of Aldermen on Feb. 18 that 2024 was “a year of change” for the Webster Groves Police Department and outlined priorities for 2025, including continued traffic enforcement, expanded community engagement and a push to formalize a community-policing program.

Aceves said the department hired 10 officers in 2024 and was close to the authorized staffing level after earlier vacancies. He reported 23,763 calls for service in 2024 and said department contacts with residents topped 30,000, with a single citizen complaint recorded last year. “We had 23,763 calls for service,” Aceves said, and added that the low number of complaints reflected efforts to emphasize customer service and accountability.

The chief described traffic as a major focus. The department is assigning officers to special patrols where complaints are validated, using signage and social media to promote compliance and writing citations when needed to reduce dangerous driving. Aceves said the visible presence of officers is intended to curb risky behavior and reduce injuries.

Aceves reviewed training and internal reforms: a policy committee is updating roughly a quarter of department policies, and the department successfully completed CALEA reaccreditation last fall. He described project-management changes inside the department — assigning project managers and backups for more than 70 concurrent projects — as a step to improve continuity and efficiency.

On community programs, Aceves highlighted several initiatives he said helped build trust. Officers participated in school “mystery reader” visits, “pizza with a cop,” Operation Santa gift deliveries for local families, and outreach with Special Olympics. He also said the department hosted a first public-safety day for high-school students and plans to expand mentoring tied to the Webster Groves School District. Aceves said the department will start a bike team for outdoor events and continue to refine its 12-week field-training program for new officers.

During council questions, members pressed whether mentorship could include students who attend private or other non‑district schools; Aceves said the department was open to expanding the mentoring program and offered to discuss details with the city manager and council members outside the meeting.

The chief also addressed recruitment and retention, saying tweaks to recruiting outreach and to the application process — including more personal follow-up with candidates — produced stronger applicant pools. Aceves described continued emphasis on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) training as part of mandated and department training.

Why it matters: the police department’s staffing, training and community-engagement plans affect local public safety, day-to-day policing, traffic enforcement and school relationships. The chief asked the Board to support continued investments that he said would reduce crime of opportunity (for example thefts from vehicles) and improve trust between officers and residents.

Looking ahead, Aceves said he wants a formal community-policing program in place by the end of the calendar year, expanded regional partnerships, and continued emphasis on training, mentorship and efficiency.