Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has put an end to use of “no-knock” warrants in St. Louis through an executive order. The practice is now banned, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) is prohibited from requesting this type of warrant from a judge.
The warrants allowed law enforcement to enter an individual’s property without notification and have led to deaths of innocent occupants in homes her and across America.
“Public safety and policing must be responsive to the needs and concerns of the community,” said Jones upon signing the order.
“This is an important step for our city and in line with action taken by municipalities across the country.”
The city limited the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases in 2020, and the executive order now makes them unlawful. The SLMPD has not deployed a no-knock warrant in the past year, but the order “strengthens the city’s long-term commitment to reimagining policing and building trust between community members and their police force,” Jones explained.
The Fatal State Violence Response Program, which includes the families of Don Clark, Sr., and Isaiah Hammett, who were both killed in no-knock raids on February 21, 2017, and June 7, 2017, respectively, called the mayor’s action “a significant step in the right direction.”
“However, the fight does not end here. We will continue organizing to ensure a complete end to no-knock raids, quick-knock raids, and other forms of militarized policing, both in St. Louis and the greater St. Louis region.
According to the FSV Response Team, police have killed at least 22 people in St. Louis since it was organized in November 2021. Several of the deaths were the result of police chases.
The FSV Response Team also wants:
-A full, unequivocal ban on the use of no-knock raids, “quick knock” raids, and other forms of militarized policing on St. Louis residents.
-A full, unequivocal ban on the police use of vehicular chases, which endanger not only the person being chased but the officers doing the chasing and bystanders.
-Truly independent investigations of killings by police, with real consequences and accountability.
-Increased transparency for surviving families on the circumstance of our loved ones’ death.
-Reparations for families who have lost loved ones to police violence.
The city’s ban also prohibits a police officer from asking law enforcement officers outside of the City of St. Louis Division of Police to execute search warrants in the City of St. Louis to bypass this Executive Order.
In addition, deployment of diversionary devices, such as flash bangs, shall not occur unless a situation, upon evaluation by the scene commander, has developed or is identified as a scenario in which a lethal confrontation is possible, and a distraction is necessary to lessen the chance of an armed confrontation.
Other specifications in the order include:
-Before entering a residence based on a warrant, police officers must now announce audibly
that they have a police search warrant at least three times.
-A majority of officers who enter the location to execute the warrant must have an activated body worn camera. Cameras should be tested for ability to activate prior to executing a search.
“Nothing in this order shall be construed to limit the ability of SLMPD to respond to immediate
life safety incidents with appropriate protocols,” said Jones’ executive order states.
“Violation of this order will result in a disciplinary investigation. Annually, the St. Louis Police
Department shall include in its reporting the number of officers who are being investigated for
potential violations of this Executive Order or who have been disciplined.”
