ST. LOUIS - Today, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones announced the appointment of former Wilmington, Delaware Chief of Police Robert Tracy to head the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. With a detail-oriented, data-driven approach to policing and a focus on building community trust, Tracy will be the SLMPD’s first chief of police from outside the department. His first day will be January 9, 2023.
“After a competitive national search, multiple listening sessions, a public survey, and a successful town hall, I am proud to announce that St. Louis has selected Chief Robert Tracy as our next Chief of Police,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “Chief Tracy has a demonstrable record of reducing violent crime while building deep ties to community and faith leaders. He will be a trusted partner in our work to reimagine public safety in our city as we strengthen alternative response programs like Cops & Clinicians and 911 Call Diversion. Bringing in fresh perspectives makes our city a stronger, safer place; Chief Tracy may not be from our city, but I urge St. Louisans to welcome him with an open mind, making our city safer requires all of us working together.”
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Chief Tracy joins St. Louis with a proven track record of crime reduction. Between 2017 and 2018, his first year as Chief of Police in the City of Wilmington, the city experienced a 56 percent drop in shootings and a 41 percent drop in homicides. Chief Tracy also implemented Group Violence Intervention in conjunction with the National Network of Safe Communities and John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. From 2011 through 2015, his five years in Chicago as Crime Control Strategist, the city experienced the lowest homicide rate in 50 years and the lowest overall crime rate since 1972. Chief Tracy began his career in the New York Police Department, rising through the ranks to serve as Commander of a newly created Firearms Suppression Division and the Firearms Investigation Unit.
“To the people who live and work in St. Louis, I want to tell each of you that I will work tirelessly to bring safety to your neighborhoods,” said Chief Robert Tracy. “I will work to give you a police department that is responsive to your needs. A police force that is accountable and accessible. But I need your help too. Safer communities don’t just happen. It’s a mutual obligation we all have, and it can only happen when we work together. I look forward to getting to know the citizens of this great city and I know together we will do great things.”
Chief Tracy holds a Master's in Public Administration from Marist College and a Bachelor of Arts in History from SUNY, Empire State College, and has received professional training in various topics. He is currently a member of the ATF National Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board; the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF); the International Association of Chiefs of Police/Private Sector Liaison Section; the Delaware Police Chiefs’ Association; and the Delaware Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, as well as numerous other groups and boards.
Chief Tracy will meet with St. Louis faith, business, and community leaders ahead of his start date in January. Tracy will receive approximately $175,000 in compensation from the City. Separately, the Police Foundation will provide the Chief with $100,000 annually to support further community engagement work.
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