The history of policing in the United States is generally divided into three eras. The first, the political era, took place in St. Louis between 1861, when the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department was established, and 1905–1906, when a reform governor thrust St. Louis into the reform/progressive era. This book examines the beginnings of the political era in St. Louis, the reasons for the police department’s establishment, and the inner workings of the department during that era. It not only is the story of the early police department, but also is integrated with the history of St. Louis and even the state of Missouri.

"Allen Wagner has made a major contribution to the social history of urban policing. [It] is a subtly crafted masterwork that should be required reading for anyone interested in the history of American policing."
—Richard Wright, Curators' Professor, University of Missouri–St. Louis