St. Louis police vote no confidence in chief

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Police Officers Association vote no confidence in Chief Joe Mokwa, but less than half its membership returned their ballots.

The association's leadership hoped yesterday's results would lead the chief to work harder for better pay for officers and to put more of them on the streets.

Mokwa says he fully understands officers' frustrations with salary, staffing and increasing health care costs. He is working to resolve the issues and encouraged community support for officers.

Of the 560 police officers who returned ballots, 56 percent, or 315, voted against him. Mokwa works for a board of police commissioners, which did not vote and has expressed support for him.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: www.stltoday.com