ST. LOUIS, Mo. – John Hayden has been named the new police chief for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Mayor Krewson and Public Safety Director, Jimmie Edwards made the announcement Thursday.
“John Hayden has served St. Louis with honor and distinction for 30 years,” said Krewson. “He has a great track record building trust in the communities in which he’s served. At this very critical time in our City, John will continue that exemplary service as our police chief.”
Chief Hayden joined the department as an officer in 1987. After graduating from the academy, he was assigned to the Fourth District. He was also assigned to the Vice/Narcotics Division, Fourth District Detective Unit and the Police Academy.
“John Hayden and his contributions to the St. Louis Police Department and to the community are respected and held in high esteem by a broad cross-section of the St. Louis community, including his peers in the law enforcement community,” said Edwards. “He treats all people, whether law enforcement or the accused, with respect. I believe that his informed concern for our City will be a great asset in closing the trust gap between the police and citizens.”
Hayden is committed to community policing. His vision includes a police department that is accountable to the people of St. Louis and a department that views citizens as partners, working hand-in-hand with officers to combat crime.
As police chief, he will be in charge of 1,300 sworn officers, 400 civilian employees and a yearly budget of $170 million.
Hayden, 55, holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Washington University, a master’s degree in management from Fontbonne University and has earned more than half of the credits required for a law degree from the St. Louis University School of Law.
John Hayden Work Experience:
1987 to 1989 - Police Officer, District Four – area patrol of neighborhoods and documentation of criminal activity and other incidents.
1989 to 1990 - Vice Narcotics Division – Street Corner Drug Apprehension Team/undercover narcotics investigations
1990 to 1991 - Police Officer, District Four – area patrols of neighborhoods and documentation of criminal activity and other incidents
1991 to 1992 - Detective, Fourth District Detective Bureau – investigation of robberies, assaults, burglaries, theft of property/vehicles and fraudulent criminal activity
1992 to 1995 - Police Academy Instructor – Class Instruction to academy recruits and lesson plan preparation for the patrol, juvenile and ethics blocks of instruction; in-service ethics training for all commissioned personnel
1995 to 1996 - Sergeant, District Six – supervision of officers assigned to the squad to ensure that crime reduction/prevention patrol efforts were observed in District Six
1996 to 1998 - Academy Training Coordinator – oversight of academy recruit training/Assistant Academy Director; management of several accounts out of which supplies/training seminars were funded
1998 to 2000 - Watch Commander, District Four – command of sergeants and officers assigned to the platoon to ensure that crime reduction/prevention patrol efforts were observed in District Four
2000 to 2001 - Commander of the Central Patrol Division Detective Bureau – oversight of personnel and investigations of robberies, assaults, burglaries, theft of property/vehicles and fraudulent criminal activity; coordination with district captains in the Central Patrol Division to determine investigative priorities
2001 to 2007 - Executive Aide to the Chief of Police – reviewed of all administrative reports forwarded to the chief of police for approval by bureau commanders to provide a recommendation to the chief of police; review of all reports of officer-involved shootings, shots fired incidents, vehicle pursuits and misconduct investigations which resulted in federal and or state prosecutions against officers
2007 to 2013 - Commander of the Internal Affairs Division – oversight of approximately 1,200 investigations of employee misconduct conducted by detective sergeants assigned to the Internal Affairs Division; oversight/review of all reports of officer-involved shootings, shots fired incidents, vehicle pursuits and misconduct investigations, which resulted in federal and/or state prosecution against officers
2013 to 2015 - Commander of District Five – oversight of all personnel, equipment and crime reduction/prevention patrol efforts in District Five and associated administrative responsibilities; attendance at community affairs meetings in neighborhoods and aldermanic wards in District Five
2015 to 2017 - Commander of North Patrol Division – oversight of all personnel, equipment and crime reduction/prevention patrol efforts in the North Patrol Division and associated administrative responsibilities; attendance at community affairs meetings in neighborhoods and aldermanic wards in the North Patrol Division.
