Pine Lawn is a city in St. Louis County,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, United States. The population was 3,275 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Pine Lawn is located at (38.695101, -90.275543). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 3,275 people, 1,189 households, and 834 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 1,606 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 1.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 96.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.2% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.2% of the population. There were 1,189 households, of which 41.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 17.7% were married couples living together, 44.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.9% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.31. The median age in the city was 31.8 years. 31.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 22.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 44.7% male and 55.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,204 people, 1,469 households, and 1,066 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,709 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 2.35%

, 95.96%

, 0.12% Native American, 0.07%

, 0.40% from

, and 1.09% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.38% of the population. There were 1,469 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.0% were married couples living together, 42.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.38. In the city, the population was spread out, with 33.6% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,500, and the median income for a family was $23,217. Males had a median income of $23,542 versus $22,399 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $11,908. About 34.3% of families and 36.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 54.5% of those under age 18 and 16.3% of those age 65 or over.

Police and Municipal Courts Controversy

Pine Lawn police issued some 17,000 traffic violations during 2014, in a town with about 2,300 adults, and has about 30,000 open warrants. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, Pine Lawn had General Revenue in the amount of $3,532,167, $2,237,196 of this came from fine and fees from its Municipal Court. This amounts to 63% of its General Revenue or based the 2010 Census $683.11 for each of its 3,275 residents. The local prosecutor was criticized for this, because he is a lawyer for the Michael Brown family, and alleges overzealous enforcement by the Ferguson Police Department. The report of the US Attorney General concerning the Ferguson Police Department prompted protests in Pine Lawn, Missouri as well. The use of police departments as revenue generation units may be widespread. In October 2016, a former Pine Lawn police lieutenant was sentenced to 51 months in prison after being convicted of trumping up charges to arrest a challenger to then incumbent mayor Sylvester Caldwell. The officer coerced two store owners to falsely testify that the candidate had stolen a Caldwell campaign poster, then used that testimony In December 2017, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the conviction. Caldwell was himself convicted and sentenced to prison for extortion in 2015.

References

External links

"The Little City That Couldn't," The Riverfront Times, July 5, 2006
{{authority control Cities in St. Louis County, Missouri Cities in Missouri