Creativity, not outrage, could be key to local control of police
St. Louis Police headquarters
Former State Rep. T.D. El-Amin is certainly in no position to win lawmaker of the year, but — back before he got in trouble with the feds — he offered an intriguing solution to one of the city’s most vexing issues.
El-Amin, like many before him, wanted to transfer control of the St. Louis Police Department from a state-appointed panel back to city government.
Rural legislators, meanwhile, had a concern of their own — blocking participation in something called the National Animal Identification System, which, to them, was like Big Brother meets Animal Farm.
El-Amin brought outstate Republicans a deal. You support our bill to dismantle the Police Board, and the city delegation will support your opposition to the animal ID system.
It was a novel approach, but it didn’t work because, well, I’m not sure why — perhaps because the fledgling coalition lacked the clout to pull off such a legislative maneuver.
The point is this: As city lawmakers renew their push to take control of the police department in the wake of a scathing audit, it won’t be easy, even if it’s clear there are accountability issues at 1200 Clark.
After all, the set-up has survived since the Civil War.
Even if the city’s representation in Jefferson City — all but one of whom belongs to the minority party — can convince their colleagues to approve a plan to restructure the police department, Gov. Jay Nixon will have to sign-off on a plan that erases his power to make appointments to the Police Board.
Previous efforts have included talk of giving the police officers more control of their pension fund in exchange for backing local control of the department.
That might be a step in the direction because outrage over the audit and towing scandal alone won’t be enough to gather support — either in St. Louis or the Capitol — to restructure the department.
State Sen.-elect Joe Keaveny, who won last week’s special election, said Tuesday that his first order of business will be submitting a bill to transfer authority over the police department.
As first day assignments go, it’ll be a tough one.
The Democrat, who represents parts of north St. Louis, “was allegedly caught on tape accepting money from a local gas station owner for whom he had done an earlier favor” reports KMOX.
The people of St. Louis need to regain control of the department. This police department is racked with dirty, racist and arrogant cops who abuse their position of power every day in this town. It is time for us to have a say in our police department.
“Rural legislators, meanwhile, had a concern of their own — blocking participation in something called the National Animal Identification System, which, to them, was like Big Brother meets Animal Farm.”
Thank you for this comment. It IS Big Brother meets Animal Farm - recently Australia levied the largest fine ever for not participating in NLIS:
“Biggest fine yet for Queensland NLIS breach”
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200911/s2739435.htm
While State government isn’t lily pure - it beats the heck out of the criminals running the City of St. Louis. That’s why the City should NOT have control of the police - can you imagine how much worse it would be? We’d make Chicago look clean!
I see this as a bigger issue than just St. Louis vs. the Capitol. The Kansas City Police Department is also under state control. The St. Louis County Police Department (which is comparable to the City’s Police Department) is not under state control. I believe that many St. Louis City police officers get their 20 years in with the City, then go to work for the County and I assume get a pension from the County, too. So the questions are: 1) in this day and age should the state have control of a local police department? 2) I wonder how the KCPD would fare in a State audit? 3) how do the pension systems of St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Kansas City compare with each other? 4) Shouldn’t the proposed transfer legislation apply to the entire state - not just St. Louis City?