On the evening of May 11, 2023, a changing of the guard took place at the St. Peters Justice Center. Andrew Ramirez, with years of experience and dedication under his belt, was promoted from Captain to the role of Police Chief, taking over the top spot vacated by recently retired Rick Struttmann.

With the prestige and honor of the title of Chief, there also comes the significance of the role, and everything it means to be the leader overseeing our community’s public safety. 

“It was pretty humbling, actually,” Chief Ramirez said about the appointment to his new role. “It’s a tremendous amount of responsibility and there’s a lot of weight that comes with it. You think, ‘Hey … can I actually do this job?’ And you can… you surround yourself with a great team, which is what we have here.”

Chief Ramirez started his law enforcement career in 1998 with the St. Louis City Police Department, working there for several years before moving to the Richmond Heights Police Department. He then entered the private sector before returning to law enforcement with the City of St. Peters in January 2006. With St. Peters, he took on a multitude of responsibilities: from working every shift as a Patrol Officer, to training new recruits as a Field Training Officer, years of experience on the Crime Scene Unit and promotions to Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant, and Captain of Support Services. The Chief holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree.

“We have tremendous support from the residents and from our elected officials. It’s no secret it’s a great place to work,” said Chief Ramirez on his extensive experience working with the City. He noted the overwhelming support that residents and local businesses show our Police Department: it’s common to have visitors at the Justice Center drop off contributions for officers as a “thank you” for their service.

Chief Ramirez is proud of the Police team he leads, and the compassion they show when interacting with residents during their moments of need.

“I’m extremely proud of our folks who have to deal with trauma out on the street, dealing with our residents who are at their worst time, who absolutely need our help,” said Chief Ramirez. “And our folks are able to compassionately handle what they need to handle and bring a positive outcome.”

As leaders in our Police Department retire, we haven’t had to search far to find the right people to take over those roles. Ramirez is one of several St. Peters Police Chiefs over the past few decades who climbed to the top spot from within the department. The continuity has helped the department build a great amount of trust as they work to keep our neighborhoods safe.  “The team has to have the ability to go out and do their jobs ... so I’m there to provide them support, and provide them guidance when they need it. But we have to trust our team. And I totally trust our team,” Chief Ramirez said.