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Board adopts pre-litigation claims settlement policy with tiered approval thresholds
Summary
The board adopted a pre-litigation claim settlement authority policy that sets a three-tier approval system, assigns the claims administrator specific duties and requires an annual report to the board; members asked for quarterly reporting options and clarified thresholds for committee and board review.
The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners approved Resolution 2026-38 on Aug. 5 to adopt a pre-litigation claims settlement authority policy establishing the department's monetary authority, documentation requirements and reporting cadence.
Erica Zaza, introduced by the board to explain the policy, told commissioners the policy defines responsibilities for a claims administrator who will investigate claims, document findings and negotiate settlements where legal liability exists. "So what this policy does, it establishes, the process for pre litigation claims, payments, and review," Zaza explained. She described a three-tier system with internal review and a reporting component: the claims administrator handles lower-level settlements, the litigation committee considers intermediate claims and the full board reviews the largest settlements.
Commissioners asked for more-frequent reporting than an annual summary; Zaza and staff agreed to provide updates to the litigation committee and said they can provide formal quarterly updates to the board if members prefer. The board adopted the policy and instructed staff to implement the reporting schedule.
