Dardenne Prairie to double contracted patrols under four-year police services agreement

Dardenne Prairie officials announced a four-year police services agreement with the Saint Charles County Police that will increase contracted patrol officers in the city from two to four. City Administrator Kathy Pratt said the move responds to resident concerns about safety and speeding in subdivisions and would double the city’s contracted patrol presence.

“Kathy Pratt, the city administrator, said the county and the city of Dardenne Prairie have come to an agreement on this police services agreement,” Pratt said. “It will be a 4 year term. As the mayor indicated, we are increasing the number of officers on the streets from 2 to 4…We’ll look to have these officers on the street probably in mid July.”

The mayor introduced the item as the first agenda topic, noting the current contract is up for renewal and the board has emphasized increasing patrol coverage during daytime and evening hours. Pratt asked the board to permit two readings that evening so hiring could proceed promptly; no board members raised questions on the record during the discussion.

Staff framed the change as an operational renegotiation rather than a novel policing program: the city is contracting with the county for additional sworn officers rather than creating a separate municipal force. The contract item was identified as item I7 on the evening’s agenda.

Next steps: staff requested two readings so the city can proceed with hiring and scheduling. Pratt estimated officers could begin street patrols in mid‑July, subject to contract finalization and the county’s scheduling.

The board did not record a formal vote on the contract during the segment covered in the transcript; staff indicated they would proceed with the procedural readings required for final approval.