February 4, 2020
St. Charles County, Missouri – St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann has appointed Kurt L. Frisz as Chief of Police for St. Charles County, subject to confirmation by the County Council at its regular Monday, Feb. 10 meeting. Frisz, presently Chief of Police for the City of Wentzville, will replace Colonel David Todd who retired Monday, Feb. 3. Upon confirmation, Frisz will begin his duties March 12; Captain Dave Tiefenbrunn serves as Acting Chief.
“I am pleased to submit the name of Kurt Frisz to the Council for confirmation,” says Ehlmann. “He is highly qualified for the position, bringing to the County more than 35 years of experience in law enforcement, including the last five years as chief in Wentzville. We are fortunate to have someone who is highly respected, knows St. Charles County well, and has the vast experience needed to step into this role.”
Prior to becoming chief in Wentzville, Frisz was with the St. Louis County Police Department for 29 years. He began as a recruit and served as a patrol officer, sergeant, lieutenant, and then captain. He was a member of the Tactical Operations Unit, where he served on the special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team and as a pilot. Over the years, he was supervisor of the North County Precinct and the Bureau of Drug Enforcement, and commander of the Bureau of Tactical Support, Central County Precinct, Metro Link Detail, and St. Louis County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force.
Frisz has specialized training in SWAT, defensive tactics, crisis management, hostage/barricade situations, and conflict resolution. He was in charge of the execution of more than 1,000 high-risk search warrants and resolved over 70 hostage/barricade situations while commander of the St. Louis County Police Department’s Bureau of Tactical Support.
Frisz has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia College, and has taken numerous professional development programs and courses including FBI National Academy, DEA Narcotics Investigations and IACP Leadership in Police Organizations. He served as president of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, chairman of the St. Louis Area Police Chief’s Association, and currently is on the executive board of FBI National Academy Associates. He is chairman of the board of directors of the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force and the St. Charles County Regional SWAT Team and is on the board of directors for the Eastern Missouri Police Academy. In 2019, Frisz was named the Missouri Police Chiefs Association Chief of the Year.
Todd retired after nearly 42 years with St. Charles County, the last five of those as St. Charles County’s first Chief of Police. In 2015, County law enforcement transitioned from the Sheriff’s Department to a newly formed Police Department.
“I want to thank Chief Todd for his years of service,” Ehlmann says, “and wish him a happy, well deserved retirement. Throughout his career, Chief Todd has been dedicated to law enforcement, public safety and the safety of his brother officers both in his department and throughout the region. He ensured St. Charles County law enforcement was well trained and that Emergency Management capabilities were greatly expanded to meet the needs of our growing community. We owe him a great deal of gratitude for a job well done.”
St. Charles County has one of the largest and fastest growing law enforcement agencies in the State of Missouri, and the largest in St. Charles County. The department is comprised of more than 130 sworn and 35 civilian staff, who provide a range of police and public services to approximately 396,000 residents and businesses within 587 square miles and 800 miles of public roads in the unincorporated areas of the county. Its presence extends into the neighboring cities of Augusta, Weldon Spring Heights, St. Paul, Flint Hill, Portage Des Sioux, and West Alton with contract patrol services and full-time patrol services to the municipalities of Dardenne Prairie and Weldon Spring. Upon request, the department assists other first responder agencies—including municipal police departments, fire, and EMS—in protecting life and preserving property with specialized and supplemental services, including crime scene investigation and the Metro Air Support Unit.