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Police chief reports lower homicides, high clearance rate and staffing shortfall
Summary
Chief Robert Tracy reported July 1 that homicides are at 63 year-to-date (down from 70 last year), the homicide clearance rate is about 84% year-to-date, overall crime is down 7%, and the department faces a staffing shortfall of roughly 400 officers from pre‑pandemic levels while pursuing fast‑track recruiting classes.
Chief Robert Tracy told the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners on July 1 that several crime indicators are improving this year while staffing remains a significant challenge.
“Right now, we're at 63,” Chief Tracy said when reporting homicide figures, adding that the department is down versus last year (70) and well below peak counts from prior years. He reported a homicide clearance rate of about 84% so far this year and said overall crime is down roughly 7% year‑to‑date; the department uses a 2022 baseline for CompStat comparisons and said overall crime is down about 40% from that baseline.
The chief highlighted trends in property crime and enforcement: felony thefts — largely vehicle break‑ins driven by juveniles and small crews earlier in the year — spiked but have declined following targeted arrests and regional coordination; he said the seven‑day and 28‑day comparisons show notable reductions. On traffic enforcement, he described a standing 'cruising' detail to target reckless driving and directed patrols in locations identified through CompStat.
On staffing and recruiting, Chief Tracy said the department recently swore in a large cohort from a fast‑track effort, with 120 people entering the process and roughly 85 remaining in the pipeline. He said a goal is to have about 40 recruits ready for the academy by September and emphasized maintaining training standards: "you cannot compromise quality for quantity." The chief reported the department had about 1,200 officers several years ago and is now at about 855, a shortfall approaching 400 officers.
Why it matters: The numbers reported affect resource allocation, public‑safety planning for large events and recruitment priorities. The chief tied improved clearance rates to community cooperation and coordination with prosecutors.
Next steps: Department leadership will continue CompStat operations, targeted enforcement for property crime, and fast‑track recruitment classes; staff promised to provide additional enforcement and summons statistics upon request.
