History of the Town & Country Police Department
The Village of Town and Country was founded in 1950 and was incorporated as a city in 1974. Town and Country was considered the rural outskirts of the St. Louis Metropolitan area and the city logo consisted of an antique wheel and a horse. The village was less than 4 square miles and was originally patrolled by the St. Louis County Police Department and serviced by a volunteer fire department.
In 1963, the Town & Country Department of Public Safety was formed and consisted of 6 full-time officers, 1 car and 1 fire truck. The Public Safety Officer served as both a police officer and fire fighter and the police car was a station wagon equipped with a stretcher and inhalator and the City owned fire engine was staffed by the same people who patrolled in police squad cars. Officers worked every other day for twenty-four hours at a time, spending 8 hours as a police officer and 16 hours in the fire station – all of this for $400 per month!
This was before the days of EMS units and paramedics and the primary goal of the emergency medical service was to get people to the hospital as quickly as possible, so officers would transport injured citizens to the hospital in the police station wagon. In those days, the officers not only knew most of the residents personally, but their horses as well. Standard equipment for the police car included a halter, lead rope and a bucket to take runaway horses into “custody”. The officer would beat on the side of the bucket and the horse would think it was feeding time and trot up to the police officer. He would then put on the halter, tie the horse to the bumper and slowly lead it home.
In 1983, the City split police and fire services, creating the Town & Country Police Department and contracting fire and eventually EMS services with what was then the Manchester Fire District (now the West County EMS and Fire District). As the City grew by annexation, so did the police department, now staffed by 34 commissioned officers and 11 civilian staff members. As you can see, our fleet of vehicles has changed drastically from the days of powder blue Ford LTD's, to the Chevrolet Caprice and now black & white Crown Victorias and unmarked Dodge Chargers equipped with computers and digital video systems.
Over the last few decades, the department has undergone a significant transformation from the days of corralling horses and transporting injured people to the hospital and has become one of the most progressive and professional law enforcement agencies in the State of Missouri. Our staff strives to provide premier service and protection to our residents and visitors 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Central to our determination to provide the highest quality law enforcement possible, is our commitment to “never stop improving.” It is with that commitment in mind that we have gained the respectable reputation as being a Department of Firsts!
We were the first police department...
...in the State of Missouri to equip each patrol unit with
Automated External Defibrillators (AED). This lightweight device is used to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Because our patrol officers are often the first emergency personnel on the scene of a medical emergency, we have been fortunate enough to save many lives with the assistance of the AED.
...in St. Louis County to have all police officers trained as First Responders. The First Responder receives extensive training in first-aid. Additionally, all vehicles have been equipped with improved first-aid equipment. Often the first on the scene of an accident or sick case, the officer is better trained and equipped to evaluate and render immediate first aid until EMS personnel arrive.
...in St. Louis County to issue gun storage safes to all commissioned police officers to lock their department issued weapons in while at home, ensuring the safety of officer’s families.
...in St. Louis County to equip all patrol units with semi-automatic rifles replacing the standard police issue shotgun. This allows the officers greater and more accurate firepower for responding to critical incidents.
...in St. Louis County to develop a fax and e-mail service designed to provide residents and businesses with timely information concerning crime, crime prevention and safety topics. Known as the
Crime Prevention & Safety Network (CPSN) this service is absolutely free to anyone who signs up.
...in St. Louis County to write, produce and film within its City limits, a crime prevention video. The video
Target Crime is the cornerstone of the City's new neighborhood watch initiative. The video was packaged and mailed to every resident.