If the STL Police has nothing to hide, they should welcome an outside investigation. It would provide impartial confirmation that they have done nothing wrong, clearing their good name. On the other hand, if they have lots to hide, they would hire a private law firm who’s only responsibility is to their client – the STL Police. This way, they can provide well crafted, legalistic excuses for their behavior that cover the truth and protect the guilty.

The fact the STL Police have already hired a lawyer to ‘investigate’ (defend) these actions proves the PD thinks there is something to hide. An outside force (like the FBI) should be brought in to investigate.

Oooooops! Does this mean I get a refrund from Metropolitan Towing for the $550.00 fee I recently paid to get my Toyota out of their storage yard?

The City of Saint Louis has a Towing service already manned by City employees and that money should go directly into the general revenue.Since the budget shortages are why Mayor Slay’s Administration claims is the reason for the failure to deliver the City employees their raises. This will generate several million dollars and allow those hard working City employees a much deserved raise! And certainly allow people to find their cars easier. The FBI should investigate.

Yes, on this and other things. This is the third or fourth issue with this dept. where police personnel have been found stealing, selling contraband, or whatever. Its always dimissed. We need new people there starting with the Chief of Police. How can we ask people to move back to a city that is protected by criminals?

They should be investigated by someone. There is not a department in government that should be running without someone looking after them. There is corruption everywhere in government. As long as people are given power to help a relative or friend out, they will. The thing to say is,don’t tell anyone. The problem is that the guy you told is telling someone the same thing after he passes the story. Why do we wait to let something happen before we send someone in to check it out.

Let’s see - world series tickets and now cars. Time change these items must the the 21st century apples.

An independent review is never a bad thing. How can you argue with that?

Well no, the Feds don’t need to investigate anything. Either make the chief and/or his daughter repay the total amount owed to taxpayers, or if they refuse, prosecute both of them. Why make this more complicated than it is?

On a lesser note, how long before Aimie Mokwa ends up killing someone, or herself? This woman clearly needs to leave the driving to someone else.

Of course they should. The very things anonaman brought up the cops say when they want YOU investigated. STL cops take drugs off of people and use them, they hassle hookers and let their john buds go free. They scalp tickets. They drive and work under the influence. It is a lax department, but not as bad as some. That’s not saying much. It’s time to clean it up. Our city rotates towing assignments and other vendors. Every jurisdiction should do it that way. It’s the only fair thing to do and helps keep corruption at bay.

This is what happens when you live in a beer town. Leonard Little, Aimie Mokwa, I’m sure the list goes on.

The St. Louis Police Dept. should never be investigated. They’re the Best in the West.
Everyone should just quiet down and let them do their job - (whatever that might be).

I liked Chief Mokwa but here we have another cover-up. I remember he also said there were no drugs or alcohol involved in the Josh Hancock incident until he could deny it no more.

Investigation should have already been started and not by a law firm. All we need now is for some crooked politicians to come out in the story and we’ll be just like Chicago.

What’s wrong with America? Our leaders and authorites are as corrupt and criminal as the ones they bring before the law who are actually guilty.

Aimee was not employed by the police department so no crimes was committed,it was stated?

What can want expect though, the system is under the control of Satan and these ones are just his little operatives. As the sayiing goes that no one seems to believe, “you can get by for a while, but you won’t get away”.
One way or another you must face your wrongs and crimes.

I do hope regardless of Aimee’s special treatment given her, seems like most of her life, that it not destroy her life and that she will get her act together, inspite of her father not understanding the harm he has and is causing her. It certainly is not her fault,she is a victim of circumstances, but must find a way to over-come it. I hope she understands this and get it together.

Yes an investigation is needed, and I wonder when people are going to take these types of corrupt actions seriously and say enough is enough it starts at the top. If corruption would stop being tolerated by leaders and authorities you will see citizens behaving better. That is just the way it is. The law of nature and natural things, how God made us.

Absolutely they should allow an outside authority to investigate..to use Police reasoning..”why not..if you’ve nothing to hide”. I think it is VERY CLEAR that they have MUCH to hide. Mokwa on his daughters behalf (as well as many other SLPD) was simply exploiting a “grey” area. Furthermore,..St.Louis Metropolitan Towing was also exploiting this area for the ownership/manegment benefit. I don’t think the average citizen realizes just how much money we’re talking about here. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR.(so why not ..if it keeps em happy?) Beyond the SLPD being investigated..I think St.Louis Metropolitan towing/S&H parking systems should also be investigated By the FBI..and the IRS. S&H has an ALL CASH business with the parking lots downtown and around Busch Stadium…follow the money(IF U CAN) and you may begin to wonder how this firm manages to keep a stronghold on parking lots that are actually owned by the City of St.Louis. Where there is smoke ..there usually is fire …and I know that if all facts surrounding this firm came to light ..they would see that this company is the KING of the kickback!! I also think it would reveal that the corruption reaches right into city hall itself. (aldermen and other officials) The ownership/manegment group has affiliations with the SLPD and certain aldermen that go back years and it was all set up just for them to basically “RAPE”(for lack of a better word) the citizens of our fine city…and now the gig is up and it’s time to hold them ALL accountable.

The following is from Saturday’s story:
After the Post-Dispatch began asking questions three months ago about the use of the impounded cars, the Board of Police Commissioners hired a law firm, Armstrong Teasdale, to represent the board and to conduct what the firm called “an independent internal investigation.”

How can a firm both represent the department’s board and do the investigation?

AMY,must be nice to have a father figure in a high position of authority that always is there to sweep your problems under the rug and deliver a new vehicle for your use. Cars at 1/4 the price, driving without a license, and under the influence, all swept away by your supposed right of privilege, you are dead wrong.. what a great way to live by example, no wonder this city is full of such dead beats, you and your father take the cake on this one.

good grief. Of course they should be investigated. They freely used vehicles that were siezed by the police, and then ‘turned over’ to a private company? Those vehicles should have been sold on the open market so that the money can lessen the burden of the taxpayers or pay for department improvements that otherwise aren’t budgeted for. Basically the Chief of Police, his daughter, and any other police officers that have recieved these vehicles for personal use or bought at steep discounts, have stolen money from the police department and tax payers. I hope they are federally investigated and the responsible individuals should charged with embezzlement.

This law firm states that Chief Mokwa didn’t know about it? Give me a break. His own daughter smashed one of these cars up 6 years ago. Unless she’s sleeping with someone at the tow company, I think it’s quite obvious how she was able to obtain these kinds of perks. It’s the POLICE CHIEF’S DAUGHTER! What a bunch of hypocrites the police are to arrest anyone for anything when they’re nothing but a bunch of thieving criminals themselves.

Why is it that most towing and storage concerns are run by criminal scum bums, is it just the nature of the business to rip people off?.

Typical liberal commie democrat Obama lovers. Always want to go after the good Americans. Leave the cops alone. They can never do the job with investigations and courts messing with them. They don’t make much money and deserve a few fringe benefits.

Yes. A law enforcement organization should never conduct its own investigations when improprieties at the highest level of leadership have been disclosed. I’m astonished that the organization would assume the people of this region would accept a report from a law firm paid by the department. They don’t have a high level of respect for our intelligence, do they?

As for this incident being relegated to “no big deal, just have them pay the difference”, no that doesn’t work. When there are allegations of improprieties, a community looses confidence in the law enforcement organization. When the community lacks confidence, every act then becomes questionable, and work falters–not to mention relations between the department and the community become strained.

The only way to repair the confidence is either fire the responsible parties, or clear the department of wrong doing.

Not only does the towing practice/car loaning arrangement need to be investigated, the fact that the Chief’s daughter was picked up under the influence, and then not prosecuted does imply that the department does not police its own.

We shouldn’t wait for the department to ask, the governor and/or attorney general of this state, or the mayor of St. Louis, should demand this investigation.

Lenny, I assure you Chief Mokwa makes a damn good salary. And last I checked, his daughter is not a police officer. Tell me how either of them should be entitled to the “perk” of stealing money from the tax payers of this city?

@Lenny: “Typical liberal commie democrat Obama lovers. Always want to go after the good Americans. Leave the cops alone. They can never do the job with investigations and courts messing with them. They don’t make much money and deserve a few fringe benefits.”

Well, I guess we now know where the police department received their opinion our collective intelligence, don’t we?

Typical right-wing nazi bush lover…Police and other elected officials work for US..the citizens, and when there is lack of transparency …corruption will soon follow. Furthermore …dissent is the HIGHEST form of patriotism..if you don’t like it perhaps you should just leave now.

Lenny you sound like an idiot!The police and public officials don’t have the right to rip off the taxpayers for their “fringe benefits”just because they don’t belived they are getting paid enough to do their jobs.If they don’t belived they get paid enough to do their job,let them work at 7-11 and serve donuts and coffee to those who do.

An investigation is in order. But to go a step further, government should not be in the towing business, it should be privately run. Goverment is never efficient at doing anything.

The cops don’t look good here, that’s for sure; but the supporters of the black racist Obama aren’t helping the situation.
Maybe the next time you get mugged you should try calling Jeremiah Wright.

Lenny – Typical conservative fascist Bush lover; never wanting to punish corrupt, power drunk, so called leaders. Good Americans believe in Democracy, which requires vigilance. Apathy to corruption leads to dictatorship. Don’t bother pointing it out; I realize that’s your goal for America.

It’s sad no one realizes Lenny is being sarcastic and is using the comment as an Bush-bashing opportunity.

ews,the yokes on me!

A friend of mine who lives in Midtown had his car stolen and since the “city towing” towed it he had to pay ~$200 to get his car back after it was stolen he was told he had to come take possession right now or the city would tow it. Since his car was stolen he could not go get it “Right now” so poof they rip him off.

YES I think the FBI needs to look into our parking police, and the city’s policies on towing of car’s.

can’t stop the killings but they sure can tow a car in 5 minutes flat..

Well, we have that great hand-picked police board, and the state watching over the department that the city tax payers pay for? What else do they we need?

Of coure they should be investigated! This is not the first time the police have misused and abused their power and it won’t be the last! It literally knock’s me off my feet as to many of the practices I’ve witnessed and heard of! If they have nothing to hide then bring it on!

Send in the mob…they can’t be any more corrupt than this police department.

I don’t think it would matter if it was private of police run. they have their own rules. I think they take liberty (as all police departments most likely do) with the law that says you can size the property of a drug related offender…yes…cars, houses, jewelry etc.
Supposadly it is support the “war on drugs” but actually is a way to make money from “offenders”, and unconstitutionally size property.
where has all that revenue gone? Or is it simply given away to relatives?

If I attempt to rob the corner bank tonight and get caught, can we call it even if I agree to give up the loot?

I would love to see a true investigation be done, because this towing
company along with the police department is crooked. i had an incident,
where i was involed in a very serious car accidents, several cars involved
and were towed to this towing company for the police investigation. the
towing company wanted us involved in the accident to pay for the towing, in
which, i didnt pay, because God was on my side. the bill was over 1000.00.
i had to have a police escort, to pick up my car, because the policeman
told myself, that he didnt want any problems with the towing company harassing myself. Then, when i picked up my car, they stole all my personal
items, broke my car seats and was trying to sell my car.

do you really believe in your heart that the fbi is going to investigate?
i had the attorney general laugh in my face, when i tried to bring charges
against this towing company, it was a joke.

i dont believe the fbi, the police and this towing company will bring any
justice. what amazes, myself, is that they closed down a towing company
in wellston, but why cant the metro towing be closed down? take a guess?
crooked is, crooked does.

if you want to do something, give us, the victim’s monies back, for the
loss, we have suffered?

Lenny,

Nothing will ever change if people think as you do. Corruption and criminal conduct cross every party line race and sex. It is the very nature of human beings without restraint. If the people do not wake up and stand up against it whenever it shows its ugly face by our authorities and leaders no matter who they are we get what we see now in every facet of our government. Police, attorneys, judges, lawmakers, other officials, government workers, it’s rapid, it’s out of control and it’s everywhere in every facet of government. It has all gone straight to hell.

This is why the city homicide rate has grown 90% during his tenure and the city has been labeled the MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE US and despite what the Mayor says NO ONE wants to live there. The attention of the police Chief and force are diverted by covering up their own crimes, kowtowing to their cronies, giving special treatment to their families, managing the kickbacks to the thugs that really run the city, stealing from the citizens and taxpayers and basically raping the city resources, so that they can’t fight crime. Their attentions are diverted in trying to CYA!!!

St. Louis could be a FIRST CLASS city with visionary leadership, instead, its run by thugs, with a punk mentality that take what they want and screw anybody that doesn’t want to play the game. Are you kidding me???? Why is this person still Chief of Police? Where is the payoff people in keeping this guy in charge of a huge budget and force???

Mayor Slay (hiding his head in the sand) says(and I quote): “At the same time, City residents and businesses know that it is already not easy paying for the police department. St. Louis already has one of the largest per capita police departments in the country. The police department’s general revenue budget has gone up 25 percent since I became mayor.” Yeah-and the homicide rate has increased 90%! I’d say it’s a bargain price! The Mayor goes on to say, “Chief Mokwa has my confidence and total support.” Oh really-why? Show me the money baby-what has he done for you lately? “The federal government, with expensive priorities overseas, has all but eliminated funding for local law enforcement programs.” (bo hoo Mayor. Maybe that’s a good thing considering how resources are spent in this city) “ We need an administration with different priorities.” (what would those priorities be-cars for children and spouses, bought from the towing company to whom the city police funnel money extorted from private citizens in impound fees and taxpayers bounty???
“And we also need — as Chief Mokwa awkwardly, but correctly, told the Post-Dispatch recently — parents, grandparents, and a range of community institutions in St. Louis to intervene in the lives of young people when they start going bad, but before they commit violent crimes. Their failure to do so implicates them morally, if not legally, in the very crimes the young people commit.” REALLY!!!! Do Tell!!!! “Reducing crime is not just the responsibility of police officers.” God know that is True in this case! Not at all the responsibility of ploice officers from what I read about this force MAYOR. “ A failure to acknowledge that fact places a terrible and frustrating burden on the department.” Nice of the Chief to remind us all of our familial obligations (ask his felony convicted daughter who has been abusing city resources since at least 2002 about that) and nice of the Mayor to try to divert attention to the global picture, and away from the corruption in his own city government. Methinks the Mayor protest too much.

Where is the city auditor, comptroller, treasurer, Public Administrator and City Attorney? Better yet, where are the State auditor, comptroller and Attorney general? They should be screaming for an investigation with a deadline controlled report published to the citizens without edit! This is just another outrage and I can’t believe the people of St. Louis sit around and take it. Getting walked on by a bunch of thugs and pimps and do nothing about it. The police department culture is one of entitlement, thievery, extortion, bullying, and kickbacks. After all they have been caught doing how does the police force continue to operate with the same leadership and without oversight? World Series ticket theft, cash and evidence theft, private vehicle theft, kickbacks, money laundering, city sanctioned cash businesses and so on?

How long are the citizens going to sit there and take the label HOMICIDE CAPITAL of the US, subsequently watch their property values decline because of it, continue to let the city government rape the taxpayers of the city resources and dole them out to their cronies, intimidate private citizens and extort business owners-and do nothing about it?? You almost get what you deserve. Who is going to hold the city government accountable?? What a joke! Of course there should be an investigation? Doesn’t it make you wonder what else is going on that is covered up?? Please!!!!!!!!!

Just for everyones general info…St.Louis Metropolitan Towing also has a contract w/ the St.Louis County Police Dept. through a company they own named MO-Jo’s Towing. I suspect their recent acquisition of this company was in response to inside info that this investigation was coming down the pike and they just picked up shop and are now repeating their practices in the county.

Well that finally explains the donut icing on my car seats.

Chief Mokwa is nuts to allow this goofball daughter of his to drive at all, much less cars that belong to others. She needs to be committed to a rehab center and fast.

So let me get this straight…..if any of you ever needed help in any way…you’d never, ever call a police officer in St.Louis? They are great officers and not just in St.Louis,all over Missouri.They are there to PROTECT!!

At this point, I don’t want to spend anymore dollars with this high dollar law firm so they can reword their investigation or with a another government agency who is going to tell us the same thing only 6 months later. The whole practice was wrong and everyone knows it. Now is the time for discipline and restitution, the Board needs to do their homework and make the offenders pay. We need to move on though, one fire fighter was killed and two police officers were shot today, there is too much crime to fight in St. Louis to dwell on this investigation.

However, it is time to cancel the crooked contract with St. Louis Metropolitan Towing. I am tired of these bully towing and storage yard owners. I was a victim twice of car theft in St. Louis, once when the car was stolen and the second time when I had to go to the yard and pick-up my stolen car. My husband and I were treated like criminals by the storage lot when we went to retrieve our vehicle and given a hefty bill on top of it. This company should not be rewarded for bribing police officials by getting the best tow deals. Get rid of St. Louis Metropolitan Towing and ban them from getting a city business license.

It’s very simple what needs to happen this week. Chief Mokwa should resign or be terminated as chief.

Regular Joe citizen commits a crime and is prosecuted, the police commit crimes and are able to hide behind their badge (wearing their disgraced uniforms). When are the law abiding tax paying regular Joes’ going to DEMAND acountability from law enforcement? Chief Mokwa should be fired immediately and all officers who took “test drives” should be diciplined.
It is time for the citizens to wake up! Arent you tired of “do as I say not as I do”?

This is getting almost comical. How has Chief Mokwa not been removed? Under his watch the police department has been found not to report certain crime statistics, playoff tickets have been confiscated by police officers and either re-sold or given to “friends” and now free cars. His daughter and others have been given free passes not only for the use of these cars but also for breaking the law. And the investigator claims his daughter paid for the cars, yeah about 1/10 on the dollar and the only thing our Mayor can say is that this is “troubling”?????

I find it very sad that this kind of thing happens. All parties involved in this need to be investigated by higher authorities (FBI, IRS, etc), and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Police officers should by no means benefit from a “relationship” with this (probably) illegal towing business.

Please don’t put all St. Louis Finest in the same same boat with Mokwa and his cronies. They do a difficult job with NO help from their Chief and those around him. He should slither off and let a real lawman assume the job. The usual procedure is to involve Internal Affairs, not contact a law firm to sort out the facts. I guess the Chief is too far above rules and laws to obey them.

I say burn the whole darn city to the ground and start over. just watch out for the fleeing rats.

I bet Brito would clean this mess up.

AMY,I NEED A CAR QUICK, ONLY HAVE $500 CAN YOU AND YOUR DADDY HELP ME OUT, SOMETHING IN THE 2007 -2008 YEAR IS WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR… HUGS…

FIREDUP,, MAYOR SLAY SAYS “TROUBLING”, CAUSE HE’S NOT SURE WHERE HIS RELATIVES ARE GOING TO GO NEXT TIME THEY MIGHT NEED A NEW CAR…

I fail to see what Federal law has been violated thereby giving the Department of Justice jurisdiction. U.S. Attorney Katherine Hannaway will sieze any opportunity to appear on television. If the cars were forfeited and for sale by the tow lot then a potential buyer is certainly entitled to do a test drive. Who is to say how long the test drive should last. In my opinion this is nothing but a witch hunt!

Well this supposed call for investigations either by the FBI or the Missouri Highway Patrol is nothing more than political grandstanding…

Why does anyone think an outfit as riddled with incompetence as the FBI should run an investigation?

Who investigates the POLICE BOARD ????????????????? This city needs to wake up and back to the business of being a first class city…This is time wasted in the media etc. The Police Department has better things to do like PROTECT AND SERVE…. If Weigert does’nt trust his boss so what, who is he to trust? Chief Mokwa, hold your head up high and know that there are some of us who feel you have done a GREAT JOB….Seems like Sly has his eye on another Chief for the beat…..

Let’s see..cash stolen from the police property room…police taking world series tickets from the same property room with a virtual slap on the hand..the chief’s daughter getiing free car(s) use..wrecking some and monetary reward pricing (known as kickbacks elsewhere)..the chief saying he didn’t know..then oooops he did..the board defending him with lawyers paid by the taxpayers..oh yeah all of this being disclosed on the front page of the local newspaper each time. How many cities would be able to sweep this under the table?

Mo-mammy…sure I would call a cop. Some of my best pals are cops, but a corrupt department is a danger to all police officers. You prefer corrupt ones who would let you blow away that guy you wanted to kill in a convenience store a while back with the christain cross wrapped around your neck?

Oh slugger you can be so SILLY.Calm down,call a cop.Tell him how great he’s doing his job..They all are doing a great job.

This towing company has been ripping off the citizens and tourists of St. Louis for a long time now. They should investigate them as well as the chief. St. Louis gave them exclusive rights to towing vehicles from the city and charging the owners outrageous amounts to get their vehicle back. It is no wonder the company can afford to give deals to the good ol boys. These are the cars that the owners cannot afford to get out of holding due to the huge fees charged by the company. My daughter’s car was stolen and located two blocks from the tow yard and they charged over $245.00 to tow the vehicle two blocks and keep it for less than 24 hours. When she went to pick up the vehicle, she was told it would cost her 275 because her dad was an ass. Dad spoke to a tow yard worker earlier to find out the extent of damages and if the car could be driven. They could not offer any information. Had she not had the right amount of money, the car would have been kept another night doubling the cost. This tow yard is a scam scum yard. The city administration that allows this type of business to continue should be investigated. The tow yard is stealing and the city government is not only allowing it, they are profiting from it!!! It’s about time.

SHOULD THEY BE INVESTIGATED? SHOULD YOU LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING THE FREAKING STREET. SHOULD YOU MAKE SURE YOUR CAR PAYMENTS ARE MADE? HOWS ABOUT RENT? WHAT THE HE!! LET’S ALL GET PEOPLE ON THE PAYROLL, STEAL WHAT YOU CAN, GET IT WHILE YOU CAN. PEOPLE IN AMERICA ARE BECOMING NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF THEIVEING LOWLIFE. USA HAVE SOME HONESTY AND SOME FREAKING DIGNITY!
SHOULD THEY BE INVESTIGATED? SHOW THE POPE WIPE HIS ARSE?

Yes, the Federal authorities should investigate the City of St. Louis’ Police Department practices. I have every confidence that Catherine Hanaway’s team will do a comprehensive investigation. And more importantly, unveil the truth about Joe Mokwa’s knowledge regarding his daughter’s use of impounded cars. If it is determined that he has known and made it possible for her to drive these impounded cars, he should be fired immediately. At the very minimum, he should be suspended without pay until the close of an internal investigation.

Yes. An investigation by The MO. State Highway Patrol or FBI is appropriate. Ask people who use public transportation if they could use a sweetheart deal on a car, such as the one given the chief’s daughter: A. Mokwa, provided by Parks Auto Sales. Or maybe one of those 10 month test drives at least.
.

One additional comment … The Police Officers in the City of St. Louis not involved in this incident should be very proud of themselves. Hold your heads high gentlemen. You represent the white hats of the department. Be proud of your honesty and integrity. There are people in the community who acknowledge that not all police officers are on the take and dishonest. If Mayor Slay is the man that I think he is, he’ll ask for Joe Mokwa’s resignation.

In the mean time, don’t let the actions of Joe Mokwa make you feel embarrased. He’s the one who should be embarrassed. He’s reaping what he’s sewn (in many, many ways).

You guys just continue to be the honerable gentlemen that you are. It will all come out in the wash.

I just feel really sad for Chief Mokwa. He’s always seemed like an intelligent gentleman in a land of corruption. Now his own daughter who can’t get herself together is going to cost him his career. I’m sure he’s been terrified for his grandchildren throughout this years’ long drama.

That said, he needs to resign for the sake of the department and in the interest of public clarity.
What a sad, sad situation. He’s a good man yet he can’t keep this position. I really wish him well.

Investigate?

Are you kidding!?! Why bother, not a Republican involved.

Millions for emails, not a penny to check out the Democratic city administration!

It’s bad enough they steal vehicles from “drug dealers” while letting bar keeps break the laws daily. But if these were non-disposed assets, and hadn’t been reassigned from the former owners to the gov’ment repo men, that wear and tear was stolen property. I imagine any mileage docs at time of confiscation could be, and probably have been, altered. Compensation of at least what the tax man gives you for miles should be reimbursed. With some wee-wee slapping penalties like THEY like to hand out to others. The humiliation of handcuffs would be nice too. Just to be fair. The donut icing on the seats joke posted earlier was darned funny! Unusual for that particular poster. LMAO

I can’t believe there are people posting to this site defending the Chief, the Mayor, the board, the private law firm who won’t disclose the details of their investigation to the public PAYING for the report, Park Autos, Metropolitan Towing, and the right to steal from taxpayers and city funding. The comments on this post attest to the outlandish and ILEGAL towing practices of what I can only term city sponsored thugs! It is shameful the city perpetuates this fraud on the people of St. Louis, and makes them Pay for it.

This whole thing has the BULLSH*T FLAG flying high above. Can you not see that this is only the tip of the iceberg??? Seriously-I am flabbergasted that a citizen would stand for these criminal abuses of power and even more amazed to see you defending this behavior???!!! This is JUST WRONG. Government abuse gone wild. You could make the comparison to the overwhelming culture of corruption under Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and company in the great (ha) city of Detroit. Another disgrace. This is not the government and city image St. Louis should project to the world.

Abuse of power and authority is ILEGAL. Misappropriation of resources and stealing is ILEGAL. Nepotism, favoritism, and diversion of public resources are ILEGAL. There is no other way to say this. A public servant has a responsibility to execute their duty in a manner above reproach. Guarding the public resources and protecting taxpayers is part of executing that duty. NOT taking the bounty of the city for their private use, ingratiating themselves with who knows what element, beholding to whom??? Certainly not the taxpayers! If the Chief had any concern for the men and women who serve under him, or the citizens of St. Louis, or the city government, he would have already resigned. He is just trying to protect his pension. Trying to keep who knows what other enterprise from surfacing.

Appoint an interim Chief, initiate an outside third-party investigation on the level of the Inspector General and shine some sunshine into this pit of vipers, and we know not the head of the snake. As soon as Mokwa took over in 2001, Metropolitan Towing and Park Autos materialize on the horizon (managed by an ex city cop). A quote from the Post on this relationship,

“Meanwhile, Parks’ sister company, Metropolitan Towing, was enjoying another boom in business.

St. Louis police launched a “pilot program” to not only give it all the cars seized in crimes, but every car that police wanted impounded from three police districts, and all those tagged for tow by a special traffic safety unit.

Claude Gunn, who runs the city towing operation, said police have sent Metropolitan Towing trucks to districts on calls that were supposed to be reserved for city-owned tow trucks.”

And the circle begins…. cops conveniently begin to impound high priced autos (the Chief’s daughter caught driving one two weeks later with no license, no insurance, expired plates, ect,) at such a rate the city, for the first time, needs to contract towing and resale of “abandoned” autos to a privately run business (who loans/sells/undervalues these autos out to the Chief’s daughter-who likes to drive drugged, drunk, and reckless), to save the city towing facility the bother of handling all those high priced autos suddenly impounded. What??? And he says he didn’t know about the auto loan/buy/test drive scam until recently? How so? Who is Mokwa to spout about “transparency” in police and government functions??? Why are the MAYOR and the board covering this up? What are they hiding? The Mayor is falling all over himself to sweep what he knows is an illegal enterprise under the rug. And no one is asking why, or demanding accountability? These elected (and state appointed) officials work FOR YOU. The GOVERNMENT IS YOU! Get up and demand this be blown wide open. Give the Chief the transparency in government he “says” you deserve.

And a quote from the Post attributed to Chris Goodson, president of the Board of Police Commissioners, “The private citizen using a vehicle is not improper. It’s not illegal,” Goodson said. What does he take us for? It is ludicrous the president of the Board of Police Commissioners expects us to swallow this. That depends on who the “private citizen” is Commish, and what relationship this firm has to the Chief of Police, and what relationship that “private citizen” has to the Chief of Police, and what relationship the Metropolitan Police Department has to the Metropolitan Towing Firm and what relationship the Metropolitan Towing Firm has to Park Autos, that gave the car to that “private citizen” that just so happens to be the daughter of the Chief of Police for the city of St. Louis, and so on, and so on, ad nausea. They think we are all too lazy to think about it, hoping this will blow over instead of WIDE OPEN. Come on! Let it all hang out!

Although this scandal goes back to at least 2002, Chief Mokwa only admitted to the Police Board (joke unto itself) his knowledge of the reallocation of vehicles in the “test drive” scheme AFTER being alerted that word was out and the Post was investigating in 2006. He in turn alerted the Police Commissioner Board who hires Armstrong Teasdale to “investigate”. We are just hearing about it two years later. Chief Mokwa continues to insult the citizens of St. Louis by LYING with the comforting blanket of the BOARD OF POLICE COMISSIONERS cushioning his fall with the help of Armstrong Teasdale’s secret report. From the Post: “The Police Board hired the law firm to conduct ‘independent internal investigation’ into the practice after the Post-Dispatch began asking questions about a 2006 traffic stop in Warren County in which Aimie Mokwa had been driving a previously impounded car.” (And was charged with several felonies…) “The law firm’s report cleared Mokwa and the department of criminal wrongdoing and said the investigation was closed.” HOW IN THE WORLD DO THEY COME TO THIS CONCLUSION????

By the way-the Post deserves a giant THANK YOU from the citizens of St. Louis. This may be the first stepping-stone to pave the way out of the dark ages of graft and cronyism, realizing the full potential this great city has. When thugs and grafters run a city the payoff is only one way. A city governed by clean, clear-sighted, individuals with a higher purpose, will transform. A sense of collective pride will empower everyone who lives here. Get rid of these criminals and come out of the dark ages. I love this city. I grew up here. St. Louis is so rich in beauty and history, so unique in its people, culture and promise; a scandal of this magnitude is heartbreaking. The citizens are being taken for a ride. How long has it been going on-how long will it last-before people stand up and demand accountability? St. Louisans deserve so much better. This Chief, Mayor, and Board of Police Commissioners are an embarrassment to all who live and pay taxes here. NOW the Board recommends discipline. Why suddenly? Friday it was “case closed”, no wrongdoing. No way is this an acceptable recourse.

And today, Slay, Goodson…like rats from a sinking ship. Guess we know who is CYA now. Not very stand up guys anymore, are they? They were singing a very different tune just a couple days ago. The big boys are choosing teams now,and guess who didn’t get picked????

What I am wondering is how on earth Aimee Mokwa has a driver’s license. A review of Casenet.org, public records of criminal infractions, shows that she has pages and pages of traffic violations, arrests for controlled substances, etc. There is no way she would be allowed behind the wheel, save for her connections. Her father says he has disengaged himself from her life, what about saving the rest of us from her behavior, instead of putting her behind the wheel of 4000 pounds of steel?

Maybe she has a “Ryan License”. There are plenty of those atill around. They are largely why we see so many tractor trailer accidents around STL.
(For out of towners…Ex IL Gov Ryan gave out driver’s licenses and other official documents for money and other considerations to unqualified peoples for MANY years. Kind of like an old white male repub paper whore highly paid with the john taxpayers’ money).

Why is eveyone so surprised that public officials and cops take advantage of their positions and grab all kinds of “freebies” from what is owned by the public? Anyone close to the street will tell you what crooks and thugs they have always been.
Wake up!

Why is eveyone so surprised that public officials and cops take advantage of their positions and grab all kinds of ”freebies” from what is owned by the public? Anyone close to the street will tell you what crooks and thugs they have always been.
Wake up!

I am a BIG Mokwa fab, but this could have been handled responsibly two years ago and coming on the hhels of use of stolen tickets and no one fired….time to send a message. Bye Joe, I’ll miss ya’.
Fran — no more good ole boys…think out of the box on the next pick….

Scottfhree,

For future reference, the St. Louis County Police Department does not currently and has never had a contract with MO-Jo’s Towing.

Colonel Jerry Lee
Chief of Police
St. Louis County Police Department

No wonder we’re 1st in the country in crime…our cops are crooks and thugs too! Mokwa needs to go to jail and so do his crooked cops.

The St. Louis police department is out of control. When I visit STL I find more police eating in resturants, guarding ice cream parking lots, and eating pop corn in hotel lobbies than I do working the streets. High crime areas get little attention and there is no police coverage. Moving auto tickets are fixed to loud mufflers to avoid ticket penalities. The whole police system is corrupt and needs correction.

I think that would be a good idea to hae them to come in to investigate ,how many times we are going to here about chief mokwa and his crew. And We don’t need a chief that has a daughter that can’t do better then the people out here that make mistakes , how can we be protected when there’s trouble at home under his nose , and also I think him and the whole creww should be proscuted ust if it was a person on the street.

Amy Mokwa is an adult who should be responsible for her own actions. Why bring down an upstanding police chief? Why tarnish his reputation?

the question here is did the Chief approve of this practice or did he use his influence in directing this for his officers or daughter.

The money, if any owed, would go to the tow company, since they own the vehicle at that point.

S&H was contracted because City Tow was slow to respond. Officers had to wait on scene for a tow truck for hours because of lack of manpower.

Cheif Mokwa has lost the public and officer’s trust. The perception is there now that would not allow him to continue to be the Cheif. It is unfortunate, however as a parent, he will always be put in the position of choosing between helping/protecting his daughter or covering for her.
That undermines the public trust.

There have been questions in the past regarding his leadership as well as the rape “memos” not being reported as crime. The stolen money from police safes and the baseball tickets that were stolen. However, none of these incidents demostrated he had anything to gain. His daughter is another matter. She has personal issues that could be used to try to influence the Cheif as in blackmail, extortion, etc. in the future;and maybe already have been. The question is that is he free from such pressure and this situation says no. He must resign for the good of the department.

The police lost towing control back in the late 70’s because the Leisures were using it for similar reasons. Now here we are again.

Please!!! What is Slay braying about??? He should resign too. Check out Sylvester Brown, Jr.’s article “Something is broken at police headquarters” in the Post. THIS WHOLE THING STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN!!!

Mayor Slay has some ’splainin to do about contributions from cash business parking contractor to the city S&H Parking Systems (owned by the same group as St. Louis Metropolitan Towing-SURPRISE!) Anyone getting a clue here yet??? I say there is a lot more to this than meets the eye, and it had been ongoing for a LONG time. Why else would the Police Board and Slay turn on a dime once they found out this issue was NOT going away on Friday last.

Mokwa probably has no power whatsoever over this towing thing. Those contracts are approved by comptrollers and administrators-but this deal was fashioned by someone as a payoff. That is obvious. But he shouldn’t have lied! He also has no control over his grown daughter and any deal she makes. Parks Autos and Metropolitan Towing were only going down the same slimy path they greased with the S&H Parking Systems deal. She seems the opportunistic sort that is gonna get her game on anyway. BUT, he does know this was going on and it was longer ago than he has said. So he did try to lie and cover this up-let’s face it they all did-hoping it could be squashed. Like I said-THANK the Post this didn’t get shoved under the rug. Mokwa went to the board when he found out the Post was investigating. He alerted them to the problem. I’m not sure if they told him what to say but they sure tried to get fish with very little bait.

I hope this does not get put to bed with the forced resignation of Mokwa. Due to the ridiculous way the Police Department in St. Louis is administrated (lacking any unbiased oversight) he has a lot of masters and none of them are standing by him now. These clowns throw him under the bus and jump on the next one coming by.

Why the heck is Goodson (a developer) on the Police Board anyway?? There are so many conflicts of interest going on here it makes your head spin and fly off your shoulders! Mayor Slay appointed him; I believe-too much glad handing and kick backing going on in this city by far. Such a small town after all.

shellyp, AJ, b, sammiejo, kennrick, ibemack, vivian, d.walker, christine m., jill, kelly mae, tjmaxx, firedup, walt hubler, stlrn and so may others make such great points here. This has obviously got people outraged, as it should. But at least Logicprevails can inject some humor into this! Funny post…I really did LOL!

One additional comment…why is it a closed session today of the Police Board??????Seems to me this should be wide open to the public!

St louis has been the butt of many jokes lately. The city seems corrupt and they dont seem to care about anything except the once all mighty dollar. Red light cameras, the hwy 40 mess, the crime rate and daily shootings. I HATE the city of st louis. Its a horrible place to live. I just hope the new chief is able to stand up and make it a decent place to live. The metrolink is the WORST idea ever. You give the “bad” element a way to get to a good area, then that area goes downhill. Galleria anyone?

Mayor Slay is quick to tell Chief Mokwa it is time for him to go due to this scandal, but my question is how many of the Mayors family were also driving vehicles from this same tow company. The Mayor has several relatives working in the police department. With this question looming over the Mayors decision making perhaps it is time for the Mayor to resign or retire.

heck ya they should be investigated i had a 2000 grand prix they towed after a near fatal crash when i went to look at my car my $500 dollar radio and cds where missing.They stole my stuff how would anyone else steal it they have guards and a watch tower.I even have pictures to prove it no radio is shown in the pictures and if i took it i would have had to pay the total amount of the tow to get just the radio.They are a greedy business and this has went to far for to long we need justice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not only should Mokwa resign but the Police Board selected by the Governor and the Mayor should step down…they have shown repeatedly they cannot oversee the Police Department and obviously the City Prosecutor is not going to step up and cause any problems for herself politically! Sure they will investigate but the silence is going to be golden and without records and such nothing will come of it. The power of the vote will take care of some of these chuckleheads…but to empower a crony of the ex-chief and Mayor/Board will simply not make this poor behavior and bad judgment go away.

In Mo,you have to have insurance to drive a car with a licence.Who was paying the insurance and who’s name was on the plates?

Jeremy, razor wire and guard shacks or not, the assault on impound lots by thieves is constant. Should your car have been left on the street if you weren’t willing or able to pay for the tow? Your insurance should have paid for some of that. You had insurance, right?

I think the whole department should be investigated, made to go through training, and every officer should be re-screened and tested. Just today I watched on Gravios at Chippiwa where 2 of St. Louis finest , ran red lights just so they could get to Quick Trip and talk over fountain drinks. I see police break the laws all the time because they feel they enforce the laws,not obey them. Running stop lights, or using their lights and sirens just to get through an intersection, only to turn them off once through and pull into the nearest 711, Quick trip or up next to another officer sitting in the bank parking lot is a daily occurrence in my neighborhood. I also often see them parking in no parking zones for no police business. I can watch them from my front porch at one major intersection off Gravios and often see them doing this. Its mostly the younger police officers as well, although, I have seen some of the older officers do the same. I for one have no respect for these clowns as they do nothing but abuse the authority they are trusted with. I say investigate them all, and weed out the egotistic morons who think the badge gives them the right to break the law.

investigate them all. Just today I watched 2 of St.Ls finest run red lights at gravios and chippawa just to goto QT and chat over fountain drinks. I see this all the time. From my front porch I often watch STL finest run lights, or use sirens and lights to get through intersection on gravios just to park and talk with other officers in the bank parking lot, or at 711 or QT. I mostly notice the younger officers, but there are older ones doing this as well. Its like they feel they are to enforce the law, not obey it. Its time to get the ego trip law breakers off the force, because if they dont respect the laws, why should anyone else?

precedence

why wont my comments post?

It is a known fact, you can not objectively investigate or hire someone yourself to investigate you. Duh!!! Come on in FBI, State Highway Patrol. I got it!!!! How about a Citizen’s Review Board!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is time the people of this country rise up against the tyranny of this government.
All politicians,police officers,senators,etc in positions of power that abuse their power and opress the people they are hired to serve need to serve prison time in a state prison, not some cushy federal prison where they can play golf.
What this towing company, the cheif’s daughter and probably some corrupt officers on the police force did to this woman amounts to fraud and grand theft larceny.
What

First the police impound her car, then the towing company with ties to the police force won’t let her claim it, then someone calls the lien holder (bank) and informs them the car had been totaled. I’m positive this was done so the bank wouldn’t attempt to reposess it, if she did stop paying for it. Sounds like someone saw a nice car and wanted what belonged to someone else.
If I as a citizen did that to someone else I would be in prison for fraud and larceny. I say put all of those involved in a state prison to serve time for fraud and grand theft larceny. I am sick and tired of those put in a position of authority opressing the people they are supposed to serve. Let them all do time.

Mo-Jos tows for west county cities not st louis county itself. I worked for metro/S and H. someone should investigate them and take a look at how many towing companies the owners are a major silent partner in. Those facts might prove very interesting.

Anybody who has ever dealt with these tow company scumbags knows they’re as corrupt as Boss Tweed. It’s nice that our town’s sleepy press corps is finally getting to the bottom of it. But it’d be more satisfying to put the tow crooks out of business with a few hand grenades.

I would like to know some more things about this story:
1. Are other people (besides Mokwa’s daughter)able to purchase unclaimed/unpaid cars from this towing company?
2. What is a reasonable price for an accident involved automobile seized in a drug arrest and apparently not insured - do those fetch blue book anywhere? Do buyers think those cars are probably “well maintained?”
3. What is the per car per day cost incurred by a towing company for keeping a car at their facility (given limited space for holding impounded or unclaimed cars)? Not the price they charge, but the real estate ammortization, real estate taxes, security costs, accounting costs, and administrative costs et al divided by the number of cars they can accomodate. More than zero?
4. Given a finite numer of cars a towing company can store, and the cost involved in both keeping them and disposing of them, and the dubious value of the cars not reclaimed by owners, might it not be reasonable for a towing company to liquidate unclaimed cars to more than just one policeman’s daughter?
The Post Dispatch articles on this topic hint at a lot of things, but don’t present any evidence that special favors or corruption happened. All I can tell is that Ms. Mokwa knows where to get inexpensive cars of questionable value, and she likes it that way. I don’t envy the “deals” shes’ gotten.

I welcome the FBI looking into this matter. For far too long, this has gone on, I say take away that golden parachute and hang em high, the ex Chief of Police has caused a blemish and disgrace to the entire St Louis region and needs to be punished, let the punishment fit the crime, all of them that got cars this way need to pay back the original owners, and then be given that wonderful job of picking up trash on the highways of this fair town…

I think Lacy Clay said it best: “It’s time to drain the swamp”
There are many wonderful Men in Blue in St. Lou. It’s gotta be demoralizing to watch and work with folks who take advantage of the system.

The FBI should also investigate Ticket gate. Just who was really sitting in those seats? Why does a “retiring” Chief get a “severance package”?

But then again… Don’t you think the Towing company had olenty of time to move their records around? The FBI and IRS should have gone in at least 2 weeks ago.

They should absolutely be investigated. Just like the city development where the LRA is buying up and stealing property (under the guise of condemnation etc) and then selling and transferring to other departments (PIE) and then getting more funds for it from grants and developers. Meanwhile harassing business owners for silly violations while thier properties are being used for drugs, squatters, not being kept up, 4ft grass. even city hall has mold/mildew, falling ceilings and they dont HAVE to fix them. Why should we?
So? HMMMMMMM
Every major department that the city has should be reviewed on at least a 2-3year basis. Sites like this should be used to report wrongdoings. After all you Citizens service cant help.
Yes! Yes! YES! if we cant trust the police, who can we trust?