St. Louis Observer: February 11, 2022
City searches for corrections oversight board; CROWN Act sees movement in #MOLeg; St. Charles representative withdraws proposed local control bill
Editor’s Note
Since the murder of Michael Brown and the consequent, so-called municipal court reform, has anything in St. Louis County substantively changed?
More than seven years after the Ferguson Uprising, have the fragmented courts throughout County shifted their prosecuting practices? Can we rest easy, knowing that the abusive and coercive police who patrolled I-70 have been disciplined? Do we have assurances that the abuses that happened under the St. Louis County municipal system for decades will never happen again?
Of course not.
In the aftermath of Department of Justice investigations and federal reports, members of the St. Louis County Municipal League fought back against minimum policing standards, revenue caps for traffic citations, and reporting requirements for citation revenue collected. At every turn, the municipalities dismissed the thousands of stories of persons - typically Black or low-income - who were targeted by police and abused by the courts. They’ve refused to sit down with activists and community leaders to discuss a pathway forward that benefits all. Some have even been disbanded their police departments and joined the North County Police Cooperative. Little responsibility has been taken; arguably, there has been no accountability for the Department of Justice’s findings.
Sure, the municipal courts are now required to hold “ability to pay” hearings before a person can be sent to jail because they can’t afford fines, and they are no longer allowed to issue warrants after one missed court appearance. The procedural hurdles still exist, and your outcome in court wildly differs if you’re able to afford a private defense attorney. Is there a database to track disciplinary actions against officers, or which department they join after being terminated in one location? Has a fund been established to rectify damages suffered by victims of these municipalities? Are defendants provided access to counsel, if they cannot afford a private attorney?
Truly, what has changed within the abusive St. Louis County municipal court system?
In the News
Police, prosecutorial, and judicial accountability
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ administration is seeking candidates for nine seats on the new Detention Facilities Oversight Board (DFOB), which will review and investigate complaints of corrections personnel misconduct and detention incidents. An oversight board was recommended by the Corrections Task Force that was formed following multiple uprisings at the City Justice Center in 2021. [St. Louis American/Dana Rieck]
The police department in Independence, Missouri, is under investigation for an unlimited overtime program that resulted in one employee accruing 2,800 hours over overtime in one year (calculated to 54 hours each week, in addition to regular working hours). The city manager stated that only one employee has faced discipline - paid administrative leave - after a whistleblower notified city officials about the unlimited overtime policy. [St. Louis Public Radio/Kavahn Mansouri]
Former St. Louis City corrections officer Demeria Thomas pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law in the Eastern District of Missouri. As part of her plea, Thomas admitted to allowing two detainees to attack and assault another detainee at the City Justice Center. Thomas still faces state-level felony charges, along with the two detainees who participated in the assault. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mark Schlinkmann]
Further reading
Democratic legislators from St. Louis and Kansas City have proposed legislation that would offer incentives to grocery stores and to urban farms in an effort to address food deserts throughout the state. An estimated 865,000 Missourians experience food insecurity, with approximately 100 food deserts (defined as access to a grocery store being 10 miles away or more) across the state and including both urban and rural areas. [Missouri Independent/Allison Kite]
The Missouri Senate rejected a House-proposed congressional map, which had been redrawn with 7 Republican seats and 1 Democratic seat (as opposed to the current 6-2 split). One proposed district, as “compromised” by Sen. Steve Roberts (D-St. Louis), would have included Webster Groves and Lake of the Ozarks in the same district. [St. Louis Public Radio/Sarah Kellogg; Missouri Independent/Tessa Weinberg]
Criminal justice reform advocates are calling for support of House Bill 1897, which would establish a prison nursery program for incarcerated mothers and their infants. Research evidence has indicated that nursery programs lead to better mental health and a decline in risk of postpartum depression, reduce recidivism, and support key early attachment between mother and newborns. [St. Louis American/Ella Siegrist]
Alderman Jeffrey Boyd (D-27th Ward) faced public backlash this week when he implicitly suggested that the City consider corporal punishment in schools for misbehaving children and public canings for those he deemed “criminals.” In a series of embarrassing tweets, Boyd doubled down on his messaging and dismissed criticism of his statements as “white progressives” “who incorrectly assumed” that his tweets, which advocated for state-sponsored physical violence, advocated for said violence. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Mark Schlinkmann]
The CROWN Act, filed by Rep. Raychel Proudie (D-Ferguson) and Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin), has gained enough support in the Missouri House to be placed on the chamber’s debate calendar, marking forward progress on the bill that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair texture and protective hairstyles in educational institutions that receive state financial assistance or student aid. The next step to progressing the bill has not yet been calendared. [Missouri Independent/Rebecca Rivas]
Legislative & Legal Update
City of St. Louis
BB 119, introduced by Ald. Todd and Ald. Ingrassia (Ward 6), would repeal the City’s current loitering ordinance and would provide a legal defense for the amended criminal charge of loitering. This bill has been stalled in the Public Safety Committee since November 16, 2021, with no forward movement.
Resolution 159, sponsored by Aldermen Sharon Tyus (Ward 1), Jeffrey Boyd (Ward 22), and Pamela Boyd (Ward 27), would resolve that any new or expanded facility for unhoused persons be constructed in the wards that do not already have facilities. This resolution was assigned to the Health and Human Services Committee on January 14, 2022, with no forward movement.
State of Missouri
HB 1476, introduced by Rep. Nick Schroer (R-St. Charles), would remove the City of St. Louis’ control over its own police department and return to state control. The bill was withdrawn by Rep. Schroer on February 10.
HB 1897, also introduced by Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins (D-St. Louis), would establish a Corrections Nursery Program, to keep incarcerated mothers and their infants together. This bill was referred to the Administrative Oversight Committee on January 31, 2022.
Quote of the Week
“I'd love to see people flock to teaching. I'd love to see us prioritize education and educators. What if we got rid of tenure, set a $100k salary as the starting point, and supported teachers' unions.
Before you say we can't afford that, ask if we can afford not to do so.”
Travis Sheridan, North City resident & community advocate
Take Action
The snow has melted but our support for Unhoused St. Louis continues this week as our Midwestern weather continues to wildly fluctuate. Direct contributions may be made via Venmo or CashApp to @UnhousedSTL, or items may be purchased from Unhoused St. Louis’ winter wish list. More information on Unhoused St. Louis’ outreach efforts and additional resources may be found here.