Top St. Louis officials want bodyguards

May 5--ST. LOUIS -- A late addition to the city budget plan calls for hiring two sheriff's deputies to act as bodyguards, and possibly drivers, for a pair of top elected officials.

The two new officers would be added to the city Sheriff's Department for about $27,000 each and would be assigned to Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed and Comptroller Darlene Green.

Some aldermen, who must still approve the allocation, are dubious about spending money to protect individual officeholders at a time when taxpayers are being asked to pay more just to put police on the street.

Still, Reed and Green say the extra security -- a perk of the office that was phased out years ago -- will help keep them safe while they are out in the community.

"There have been threats in the past," said Rory Roundtree, an aide to Reed. "As a citywide, head of the legislative branch, it's important to be protected while in the community."

According to Reed, those threats came when he was previously an alderman -- including a phone call promising to shoot him in the head.