St. Louis Observer: March 26, 2023
State tries to take control of SLMPD, struggles to control KCPD; staff shortages create crisis in Missouri mental health system; regional cost of food, number of evictions on the rise
Editor’s Note
In lieu of an Editor’s Note this week, please enjoy this excerpt from the piece, “From Slavery Abolution to Public Education, German Radicals Made American History,” by St. Louisan and comrade Devin Thomas O’Shea, as originally published in Jacobin magazine:
Many walk by Sigel’s memorial every day without knowing the man on the pedestal is a “stone-cold communist,” as Walter Johnson put it. The United States has erased the radical German socialists who spilled blood for antislavery and other liberatory causes, but it’s time to remember them. Education, health, infrastructure — these hard-won public goods are now being eaten away by neoliberal capitalism, just as the monarchy and the church ate away at the lives of the working class in the German states. The only question now is, who will take over?
Read more of Devin’s work here.
The vacant Saints Mary and Joseph Chapel in Carondelet was supposed to serve as the new, larger location for Peter & Paul Community Services until a loud faction in the neighborhood voiced its opposition to the project. The shelter will keep its Soulard location while it looks for a different space. | Photo by Monica Obradovic, Riverfront Times
Police, prosecutorial, and judicial accountability
The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners has sued Kansas City over a funding dispute caused by a 2022 ballot initiative. Amendment 4 was passed last fall, against the wishes of Kansas City residents, and included legally questionable language that allows the state-controlled police board to change the police department’s budget without the city’s knowledge. The new law enacted under the ballot initiative entitles KCPD to 25% of most of the city’s income, including real estate and personal property taxes, parks concessions, sales of city-owned land, vehicle license fees, parking meter revenue, and other municipal fees collected. In its lawsuit, the KCPD police commissioners also seek 25% of any revenue that developers bring in under tax increment financing (TIFs), community improvement districts (CIDs), and special business districts (SBDs). [Josh Merchant/Kansas City Beacon]
As the Missouri General Assembly advances legislation seeking a statewide vote to take control of St. Louis police and give it to an unelected state commission, Kansas City organizers are working to build voter support to restore control of their police department to their city. While the state controlled SLMPD between 1862 and 2012, the city experienced higher violent crime rates. [Meg Cunningham/Kansas City Beacon]
Two new reports have determined that there is no relationship between jail reforms (like reducing pre-trial jail populations) and increases in violent crime. The reports, which draw from data from 23 U.S. cities and counties (including St. Louis), found that most persons released on personal recognizance were not re-booked and, of the percentage of people who were re-booked while awaiting trial, only around 1% was due to violent crime. This statistic has remained constant since 2015 and includes data from before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Monica Obradovic/Riverfront Times]
Staff shortages and funding cuts have created a deepening lack of resources for hundreds of Missouri adults who live with developmental and behavior disorders. State lawmakers recently rejected a proposal that would have addressed the funding gap that has led to low wages and staffing vacancies. As a result, nearly 230 people who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial have been stuck in county jails as they wait for the state mental health department to tackle extreme staffing shortages. Funding deficits have also caused a cut in transit services for St. Louisans with disabilities and mobility challenges. [Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent; Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent; Clara Bates/Missouri Indepedent]
Economic development and housing
Food prices are expected to rise by about 8% in 2023, further adding to the financial strain felt by individuals and families in the face of climate disaster and drought. The federal government recently ended its pandemic food benefits program, which served an estimated 41 million people. More than 40% of U.S. households reported changing grocery store habits, such as switching to cheaper brands, skipping meals, and reducing trips to restaurants. [Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media]
The number of evictions in St. Louis City and County has reached a level not seen since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Eviction filings for the month of February 2023 were approximately 20% higher than the pre-pandemic average and nearly 30,000 evictions have been filed in St. Louis since the COVID-19 pandemic officially began in March 2020. Almost 40% of all evictions in St. Louis have come from 100 buildings. Meanwhile, Kansas City’s right-to-counsel program has prevented hundreds of evictions in its first year and the city has plans to expand it. [Ryan Krull/Riverfront Times; Celisa Calacal/KCUR]
Beyond the Paywall
To read the below articles in full, please visit SLPL.org and access these articles through the Digital Content tab. St. Louis City & County residents can read these publications free using their library cards.
“Byrnes Mill police under criminal investigation, judge suspends municipal court,” by Erin Heffernan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Judge throws out St. Louis police unions’ lawsuit over civilian oversight board,” by Taylor Tiamoyo Harris, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Missouri House approves state takeover of St. Louis Police Department; Senate next,” by Jack Suntrup, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“Missouri edges closer to outsourcing more state operations to private companies,” by Kurt Erickson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“After KCPD accused of illegal ticket quotas, Missouri says it will enforce ban. But how?” by Glenn E. Rice, Kansas Cit Star
“Wellston public housing poised for $44 million rehab after being saved from demolition,” by Jacob Barker, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Legislative Update
St. Louis City Board of Aldermen
The Board of Aldermen is on spring recess until April 17 for the Sine Die (End of Legislative Session) Meeting to end the 2022-2023 term.
BB 180, sponsored by Ald. Ingrassia, creates a right-to-counsel for all persons facing eviction proceedings, or similar punitive actions, in the City of St. Louis. The bill was passed by the full Board on February 10.
BB 137, sponsored by Ald. Shameem Clark Hubbard (Ward 26), authorizes independent investigations of law enforcement misconduct and use-of-force incidents. This bill addresses a number of issues previously raised in litigation filed by the two police unions that opposed accountability and transparency within the police oversight system. The bill was passed by the full Board on February 10 and signed by Mayor Jones on February 24.
BB 64, sponsored by Ald. Shane Cohn (Ward 25), would establish “transparent, standardized, and beneficial policies and procedures” for considering development proposals before the Board of Aldermen. The bill was passed by the full Board on February 10 and signed by Mayor Jones on February 17.
Learn more about how a bill becomes a City ordinance.
Track these board bills and much more on St. Louis PoliticClips dashboard.
Quote of the Week
“In the City of St. Louis, over 20% of our residents live below the federal poverty line. Communities ravished by poverty can become breeding grounds for drug use and other illegal activities. We can choose to address these issues through policing alone, or we can seek to address the root cause of the issue, working to ensure that every Missourian has an equal opportunity to thrive.”
Mallory Rusch, Empower Missouri executive director