The St. Charles County Police Department has hit a milestone this January, marking 10 years since its inception, a decade characterized by technological advancements and evolving crime-fighting techniques. The department, which began in 2015 following voter approval, now boasts a staff of 170 commissioned officers and 42 civilian members, charged with overseeing the sprawling 560 square miles of unincorporated St. Charles County, in addition to providing services to the cities of Dardenne Prairie and Weldon Spring.
Chief Kurt Frisz, at the helm since 2020, remarked on the department's evolution, “We’ve seen a lot of changes,” he stated, in an announcement referenced by St. Charles County's official news release. “The department is one of the best in the country. We’re in the upper end of solving crimes,” Frisz noted. The department's reach extends across the county, home to more than 415,000 residents, answering the call of duty wherever required.
The steady climb in technological integration within the police force is evident in the 2024 arrest statistics provided by the department. Over the past year, the department executed more than 1,800 arrests, including 700 felony arrests, and more than 1,100 misdemeanors. This feat mirrors the department's decade-long journey towards enhancing its crime-solving capabilities and reflects the growing efficacy of law enforcement in the region.
The department's equipment list reads less like a small town's arsenal and more like a well-resourced urban force, equipped with 105 patrol cars, eight motorcycles, seven SWAT vehicles, three bomb vehicles and 17 drones, reinforcing their operational capacity. Furthermore, it operates a mobile command center, and has partnered with metropolitan forces in the Metro Air Support Unit, boasting a fleet of five helicopters, Chief Frisz told St. Charles County Police news.
