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Major Case Squad
The Greater Metropolitan St. Louis area, with the City of St. Louis as its hub, consists of approximately 4,500 square miles, with an estimated population of 2.5 million people. The region extends both east and west of the Mississippi river to include four counties in Missouri and three in Illinois.
Click here to view the following topics: Click HERE ... to download the 2005 Year End Report for the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. The report includes Supervisors, crimes investigated, financial report, training and much more.
Police Veteran Assumes
Mentor Role as Chairman Emeritus of Major Case Squad
The formation of these small cities and police
departments created a dilemma of managing cooperation between the
agencies, especially in investigating major incidents such as murder
and serious assaults. Many of the smaller departments, even though
staffed with professional personnel, simply lacked the necessary
resources to conduct large scale investigations.
IN 1964....
A group of St. Louis area police officials traveled to Kansas
City, Missouri to meet with Chief Clarence M. Kelly (later to become
the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation). Among the
group was Chief James P. Damos of the University City Police
Department. Chief Kelly had developed a concept of
the "Metro Squad" for the Kansas City Metropolitan area.
The idea was simple, pool the qualified manpower, equipment and
resources of all the departments, thus forming one unit. This would
bring together the best investigative talent from all jurisdictions,
under one command, to respond to a call from a participating agency.
Kelly's plan drew on the collective strengths of all jurisdictions
and allowed them to maintain their autonomy. His idea had proven
successful; several heinous crimes had been investigated and solved
by the Squad in the Kansas City area.
Chief Kelly had developed a concept of the "Metro Squad" for the
Kansas City Metropolitan area. The idea was simple, pool the qulaified
manpower, equipment and resources of all the departments, thus forming
one unit.This would bring together the best investigative talent from
all jurisdictions, under one command, to respond to a call from a
participating agency. Kelly's plan drew on the collective strengths of
all jurisdictions and allowed them to maintain their autonomy. His idea
had proven successful; several heinous crimes had been investigated and
solved by the Squad in the Kansas City area. Impressed with the success of the Kansas City Metro Squad, the St. Louis
group returned, determined to form a similar unit in the Greater St.
Louis Metropolitan area. ON MARCH 1, 1965...
Investigators, commanders and supervisors gathered at
the St. Louis Police Academy to begin a six day training course to prepare
for their new mission. They received instruction on procedures for the
Squad, press relations, report writing, laws of arrest, Search and seizure,
homicide investigation and laboratory and scientific aids. The instructors
were provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Louis City Homicide
and the various county and state departments. Training concluded on March 6 with a graduation ceremony presided over by Chief
Damos and the Board of Directors. By May 1,1965, the Board of Directors announced that the Major Case Squad was
operational and ready for duty.
The group is kept appraised of the latest-of-the-latest investigative techniques
by professional instructors from all around the country. Officers of the MCS, when called out,
do not receive any compensation from the requesting jurisdiction. Instead, the
officer's salary is paid for by his or her own department; the officer is
considered "on loan" to the requesting agency for the duration of the investigation.
Sheriff Named Chairman
of Major Case Squad
BELLEVILLE - St. Clair County
Sheriff Mearl J. Justus calls the St. Louis Metropolitan Area Major Case
Squad a shining example of regional cooperation."It really shows what
you can do with good cooperation," he said. "Here's a system of two states
cooperating. Problems are practically nonexistent."Justus, 68, was recently
elected chairman. He replaces Florissant Police Chief Robert Lowery, who
stepped down after 20 years in the post.Justus attributes the Major Case
Squad's success and internal harmony to the dedication of its 25 board
members and the 500 or so top officers who comprise its volunteer membership.
The man who held nearly every
rank with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis now has a new one. Col.
Robert G. Lowery Sr. has been named chairman emeritus of the elite unit
of investigators assigned to solve the most heinous crimes in metropolitan
St. Louis. The board of directors created the title at its Jan. 25 meeting,
when Lowery stepped down as chairman after two decades. Lowery, 60, said
obligations as chief of police in Florissant led to his leaving the board.It
wasn't an easy decision, he said. More...
The area encompasses a mixture of urban, suburban
and rural areas. Local pride is evident as many people identify not
only with the area but also with the municipality in which they live.
Nearly all of these smaller "cities " have formed their own
police department.
Investigators on the Major Case Squad have completed the hundreds of hours of
training associated with all phases of homicide investigation. All officers are
required to attend a two day, 16 hour annual retraining course. The Officers are slected from the best of the best.