Recognizing the need for unified police leadership in the Greater St. Louis area, the St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association was formed on May 27, 1969. Since the membership of SLAPCA is representative of the interests of all police departments in Greater St. Louis, SLAPCA gives primary attention and support, where appropriate, to those law enforcement services that are area-wide in nature and effect.

SLAPCA incorporates three levels of membership to best serve the St. Louis area:

• Regular Members are active chief law enforcement officers of municipality or county law enforcement agencies or the chief law enforcement officer assigned to the St, Louis regional office of a state law enforcement agency. Regular members are limited to officials of agencies located in St. Louis County, or City, or the Missouri counties of Franklin, Jefferson, or St. Charles. Regular members must be commissioned peace officers of the agencies they represent and must be licensed by the Missouri Peace Officer’s Standards and Training Commission, a subsidiary of the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
• Associate Members are officials in charge of any agency or organization that contributes to and/or supports the law enforcement mission.
• Life Members are those individuals achieving a minimum of five (5) years of regular membership; are no longer active; and whose contribution to the advancement of law enforcement is duly recognized.
• Honorary Members are individuals recognized by the Association for their contributions to the advancement of law enforcement.