St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy has a new contract paying him $295,000 annually — $112,000 above the starting salary in his previous agreement — a decision that has drawn criticism from the mayor and police union over the cost and the board’s spending priorities.
The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners approved the agreement Saturday during a special meeting, saying Tracy was being recruited by another city and that retaining him was a priority.
The board pointed to declining crime during Tracy’s tenure as evidence of his leadership. Since Tracy became chief in 2023, the department says overall crime has fallen 45%, murders have declined 43% and juvenile shooting incidents have dropped 60%.
Tracy signed his previous contract in December 2025. It set his annual salary at $183,000 with 4% annual increases and ran through Jan. 1, 2029.
Tracy has also received up to $100,000 annually through a consulting position with the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis that is funded by private donations. Combined, the consulting income and his previous contract’s starting salary could have totaled $283,000 annually.
Police board President Chris Saracino defended the agreement, saying retaining Tracy was important to maintaining the department’s progress.
“With another city recruiting him, our Board acted quickly to keep that proven leadership here,” Saracino told The St. Louis American. “The Chief’s newly approved contract provides approximately what he was already earning from his police salary and secondary employment combined, with the police department now taking full responsibility for his compensation.”
Tracy has said he intends to end the consulting position after this year. However, the new contract does not require him to do so, according to 5 On Your Side.
The St. Louis American asked the department to identify the city recruiting Tracy, but the department did not provide that information.
Mayor challenges board’s priorities
The new contract runs through October 2030 and provides annual 4% salary increases, according to 5 On Your Side. It also includes a $24,500 annual retirement contribution and requires the city to cover both the employer and employee portions of his benefits.
Mayor Cara Spencer, who opposed the agreement, said the additional spending undermines efforts to put more officers on the streets.
“This raise is in direct contrast with the stated goal of hiring more uniformed officers to police the streets of St. Louis,” Spencer said in a statement to The St. Louis American. “The police budget is finite. Dollars allocated to the Chief’s salary increase are dollars coming out of the funds for hiring more officers.”
Spencer also questioned the urgency of renegotiating Tracy’s contract and accused the board of failing to provide adequate notice and information about its meetings.
Her office said she first learned about the negotiations at a board meeting Thursday and was given no context for that meeting or the emergency meeting announced Friday afternoon and held Saturday morning.
Both meetings appeared to violate state open-meetings requirements, Spencer’s office alleged.
The mayor also challenged the board’s claim that another city was recruiting Tracy.
“Let’s be clear, the ‘recruitment’ the board cited was hypothetical,” Spencer said. “The board didn’t name any outside offers, or even potential employers. The only deadline was what the Chief imposed on his own. It is a manufactured emergency.”
5 On Your Side reported that the meeting was prompted by a deadline Tracy established during negotiations. An email from the board’s attorney showed Tracy had extended the deadline for his counteroffer until 1:30 p.m. Saturday, even though his previous contract ran through early 2029.
Although the new agreement runs through October 2030, it does not require Tracy to stay until then or impose a financial penalty if he leaves early, 5 On Your Side reported.
Union questions priorities
The St. Louis Police Officers’ Association, the union that represents SLMPD officers, has also publicly criticized the agreement.
In a statement, union President Martin Garcia questioned the decision to increase Tracy’s salary while civilian and professional staff have worked without a new contract since June 2025 and rank-and-file officers earn less than their counterparts in St. Louis County.
“The employees who serve this department every day deserve the same urgency and consideration afforded to its chief,” Garcia said.
The board has approved other compensation increases since taking control of the department. Officers received 7% raises in January, while top commanders received double-digit increases and civilian employees received 4% raises in June, according to the Post-Dispatch.
In response to criticism of Tracy’s pay increase, Saracino said the board began addressing pay compression affecting police officers in January and continues to invest in competitive compensation for officers and professional staff.
Garcia declined to provide additional comment to The St. Louis American, saying he needed more time to review the contract.
In a statement, Tracy said his commitment to St. Louis goes beyond compensation.
“St. Louis is home, and my family and I are proud of the roots we’ve put down here,” Tracy said. “The relationships we’ve built and the people we’ve come to know make this commitment personal.”