By Antonio D. French
Filed Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at 5:43 PM
Democrat Claire McCaskill, who is looking to unseat Missouri Republican Senator Jim Talent in November, officially received the endorsement of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police today at a press conference in front of the Eagleton Courthouse. Labels: U.S._Senate_Race
Butch Albert, Vice President of the FOP, said McCaskill, a former prosecutor in Jackson County, has been a valuable ally in law enforcement's fight against Methamphetamines. McCaskill said Talent, whose campaign today repeated claims that she opposed his federal Anti-Meth law, has mischaracterized her position.
Afterwards, PUB DEF asked McCaskill what her position is on St. Louis City's police residency requirement, something that the FOP and other police organizations oppose.
"I think the people of St. Louis are the ones that should decide that," said McCaskill. "I know that for some members of the FOP that's a tough stance on my behalf."
11 Comments:
Sorry Claire, but the if you are for or against the residency requirement, that has a lot of weight.
You say you are for compromises, what if the time limit is lowered, would you support that.
Be clear, because St. Louis Voters want to know where you stand. I will not vote for anyone who wants to remove the residency requirement.
7/26/2006 6:58 PM
Doug,
Wake up and smell the coffee.
Blunt, with help from his hatchetman Chris Goodson, did the deed to undo the residency requirement for police officers.
Now we all get treated to rigged community meetings where police officers and their supporters work to unwind the residency requirement for civilian police department employees.
Don't you see? The city schools aren't good enough for police officers and their civilian co-workers.
Who cares about the rest of us non-public employee grunts.
By the way, anyone ever look into the fat pensions those city cops get?
Not too shabby.
7/26/2006 9:32 PM
Doug,
I have a suggestion for you. Start your campaign for residency with the St. Louis Public School system. They don't have to be residents of the City or even the State of Missouri.
At least the Police Department requires 7 years before you are eligible to move out.
Let's be fair.
7/26/2006 11:34 PM
City library employees don't have to be city residents either.
That's a head scratcher.
7/27/2006 7:00 AM
If the City is not good enough for them then they should be police elsewhere. Police are not only agents of state power, but also should be agents of the community, working with residents to protect property and general welfare.
Campaign to get a residency requirement for teachers. I think the first thing we need to do is work on test scores, then we can decide where they live. I am not so sure that the quality of education has anything to do with the residency of the teacher. I am not an expert on education, but I think we need quality teachers regardless of where they live. However with policing, if you don't live in the neighborhood, police work is affected. How can there be community policing with cops who don't live in the community?
Furthermore, with our lack of local control, I believe allowing the police to move out of the City will only further reduce the chances of St. Louis gaining such control.
When is the next police residency meeting, and isn't there supposed to be a vote to determine the residency requirement? Wouldn't the residency requirement need a modification of the charter?
http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/cco/ords/data/ord3377.htm
Is this going to be on the August 8th ballot?
7/27/2006 8:36 AM
Both teachers and police officers that work for the City school district or police department should have to live in the City. If you don't want to live in the City, then don't take a job with the City.
As long as residency requirements are not applied to our teachers and officers, I will vote against any tax increase for our schools or police, including August 8th's business tax increase for more officers.
7/27/2006 10:09 AM
The reason the police department has a good pension is because the city does not have control. Could you imagine what a mess it would be in if the city had control. Please!!!!
The civilian employees had a chance to get on board and so did the firefighters. They chose to support demolosers and lay down for "Slay"!!!
We stuck our necks out and were willing to suffer the wrath of Demoloser's in the city and we won!!!!!
Get over it
7/27/2006 10:45 AM
Huh?
The firefighters have their own very good pension system as well.
You must understand, public safety workers have a mandatory retirement age. Most collect a pension and then start working a second job - assuming they're not disabled/injured badly in the line of duty.
Civilians -- including the civilian Police employees -- can work to any age they wish, for the most part. They are covered by the general City pension system.
7/27/2006 1:35 PM
Sorry Doug, but you can't have it both ways. In your mind cops will do a better job if they are forced to live in the city. By your logic, teachers would care more about educating kids they were forced to be neighbors with. After all, the teachers' failure to educate these children is one of the biggest roots of crime in our fair city.
I am an expert on law enforcement, so I will tell you this: Just like you say you want the best teachers, regardless of where they live; you also want the best cops, regardless of where they live.
The Police Residency Rule has had myriad pernicious effects. It has led to high turnover (many of SLMPD's finest coppers are now working elsewhere, trained on your dime), lowered educational and physical standards, and in terms of looking past criminal associations and criminal records. There's nothing as disheartening as standing in a police roll-call next to a guy with gang tattoos.
Anonymous- As for my "fat pension"- ha-ha! I'd hardly call 40% of $50,000 a year fat. By the way, we don't get Social Security. By the way, our working conditions are horrible. By the way, you just might need us to save your life someday. By the way, you are punk! But I do agree with you on one matter: The city schools are definitely not good enough for my kids.
Aside from all that, I'm a life long city resident- TOWER GROVE, REPRESENT! My wife, kids and I love the city and have no intention of moving. I have a feeling Doug and Anonymous grew up in Ballwin or some other such place, and are having bouts of "zeal of the convert". Grow up and use your heads.
7/27/2006 8:03 PM
I don't think but about 300 officer shave left the city.
7/27/2006 8:19 PM
Doug,
Please do your homework before you rant and rave about police residency. There is nothing in the City charter that requires police officers to live in the City. That rule was made by the Board of Police Commissioners and can be changed by them at any time.
The City does not control the Police Department so you will not find anything that does with control in the City charter.
Furthermore, there is no vote to determine residency. It has already been decided upon. The "bill" that you speak of holds no water and does not require the Board of Police to change their minds.
I think you need to take a poll and learn how many police officers live in the neighborhood they patrol. I think that you will find very few. Very few police officers want to risk their lives and their families’ lives off-duty by arresting a bunch of their neighbors. Maybe in la-la land where you live nobody would retaliate but this is the City, which is far from that land in which you live.
I think you have no clue on what you speak. We need quality teachers regardless of where they live? Don't you think we need just as qualified police officers, since they do have the power to take away your freedom? Since you in trust in them the ability to take someone’s life don't you think that you should get the best for your money? You trust them to be able to deal with any type of person in any type of situation without using force; don't you want the best person? Police Officers are at risk to get sued at each and every second of their shift; don't you want the best to reduce liability?
7/28/2006 12:43 AM
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