VS: Local control puts fox in charge of henhouse

Is it time for St. Louis to take control of the police force from the state? IS IT TIME FOR LOCAL CONTROL?

BY DON DEVIVO

In order to make an informed decision concerning local control of the police department we must look at the three major expenditures of the city government: The Board of Public Service controlled by Alderman through legislation, The School District (now controlled by the State) and the Police Department (which was taken over during the Civil war to prevent St. Louis from joining with the Union).

The complexity of controlling the police locally would require full-time Aldermen and increased compensation.  The City Charter would have to be amended in order to accommodate an influx of such a large budgetary responsibility.  

The Board of Public Service is providing money for running the essential services of the city, and as a bonus, it maintains an inventory of 5,000 abandoned structures, 11,000 vacant lots and countless vacant industrial sites with no coherent agenda.  The City Journal shows a pattern of little movement on major issues.  The dereliction of infrastructure created and maintained by the St. Louis City government is the baseline for the conditions upon which the Police Department must operate.

The recent attempt to reform the School system cost a number of people their jobs and drove deserving students from the district. Public education has not experienced a lower point within the city limits. It will take a responsible political agenda and a decade to repair the public school system.  Tax abatement and other designer legislation that provides incentives for development might have to be pushed aside for lack of time by the Alderman.  It takes long hours and lots of work for each piece of legislation introduced by any of the 28 Alderman.

Can Local Control advance the Team Four plan?  This is a legitimate concern given that the Building Division, Conservation Department, and the Neighborhood Stabilization Office have all been given or considered for expanded police powers in their day to day business activities with the public. The Board of Alderman have been busy controlling all aspects of development ensuring no competitive plan comes up in their ward that could require sharing limited funds under the local Alderman’s control.

We can move forward with Local Control of the Police Department, however it would overwhelm our current government and create a bureaucratic nightmare. Have the backers of this political agenda realistically considered the real work behind such a change of government and how would it affect our civil rights?

Mayor Slay is under an active recall attempt and several alderman backing this effort have faced political or personal recalls in their previous terms. These are not leaders endeared by their local community. Division exists throughout city government and democracy needs to be a continuous debate. When the backers for Local Control hold public meetings for St. Louis residents they will find little support for a dead-end political agenda. We cannot afford to be distracted when our homes and businesses are being sold to the highest bidder supported by the United States Supreme Court, the Missouri Supreme Court, and the 28 members of the St. Louis Board of Alderman.

The Team Four plan is based on eminent domain. It is used by our alderman as their sole tactic for development. Local Control of the police could put the fox in charge of the hen house. I would like to hear from the backers of Local Control how we deal with the inventory of derelict buildings in a coordinated political effort. The recently passed Distressed Areas Land Assemblage Tax Credit Act strongly supported by the same group of State Representatives currently excludes city-owned property, a short sighted approach. Half a dozen city Wards would have qualified for the credit with the required acreage lingering in derelict condition -- a real police problem.

A few state representatives, a handful of aldermen, and a couple of regional groups is not enough of a power base for a workable political strategy concerning Local Control. It is time to have a series of community debates to discuss the issues and hold the current office holders accountable to even consider Local Control of the Police Department. Local Control is a dangerous political movement. Let us focus our political efforts on reforming the current government.  One-party rule has sent this city into a downward spiral. Long-term political stability is not obtainable when short termed special interests take precedent over debate and discussion.

Don DeVivo
Green Party candidate for Committeeman of the 22nd Ward and candidate for City Treasurer