Private Security

Following a ProPublica investigation, a St. Louis official said the city would review private policing in its wealthier neighborhoods. Three months later, that review has yet to begin.

A St. Louis ordinance lets courts banish people from huge swaths of the city as a punishment for petty crimes. These neighborhood orders of protection often prevent people from accessing the services they need and raise constitutional questions.

Wealthier neighborhoods in St. Louis have armed themselves with private police, giving them a level of service poor areas can’t afford and fueling racial and economic disparities.