By Antonio D. French
Filed Monday, November 20, 2006 at 7:23 PM
In the wake of the city's recent tagging as the "most dangerous" in the country, and numerous attempts by City and police officials to downplay crime in the city as affecting only "some neighborhoods," one alderman is telling police brass that they aren't doing enough to keep those neighborhoods safe.
In a letter sent last week to a St. Louis City police captain and copied to Chief Joe Mokwa, 27th Ward Alderman Greg Carter recounts a Nov. 11 incident that occured at a northside gas station. Carter said while purchasing gas at the Shell station on Goodfellow and Highway 70, a man approached him and attempted to sell him drugs.
"Here I am, the alderman for the community and I can only imagine how other individuals are approached when they visit our community and our city," wrote Carter.
The alderman said this kind of problem has been going on for too long. He said he has been in contact with police and city officials as well as the corporate owners of the gas station, but nothing has changed.
"I am becoming very frustrated and I am sure that if this was in any one of your neighborhoods, it would have ended a long time ago," wrote Carter.
"I guess this is no longer a myth there is no aggressive approach regarding the drug selling in the communities that are predominantly African-American."
Carter sent copies of the letter, dated Nov. 14, 2006, to Police Chief Joe Mokwa, Mayor Francis Slay, State Senator Pat Dougherty, State Senator-elect Jeff Smith, State Rep. Connie Johnson, Missouri Attorney Gen. Jay Nixon, and the Council of Black Elected Officials.
Click here to download Carter's letter.
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18 Comments:
To Alderman Carter,
I think that if you look at the stats that the Police Department has done quite a bit of enforcement in the area and in particular at that location. There is only so many things that the police can do. We unfortunately can only arrest individuals. We cannot try them and sentence them and right all the wrongs of the community.
Maybe you need to take a look at the root of the problem and see if you can help fix the problem. Maybe as the Alderman you can refer that address to the nuisance committee and try and shut down the establishment because it obviously serves more ill than will. Maybe you can use your influence with other elected officials, such as Jennifer Joyce, in helping strongly enforce punishment and urging judges for stronger sentences.
11/20/2006 9:25 PM
Or simply build a McDonald's drive-through restaurant in the area. Ald. Florida seems to think such a facility will reduce crime.
Seriously, the perception or reality of crime along with the schools are two major issues holding back our city. We must face this head-on. The police can do more -- the first is to have a better attitude --- I've heard enough of them bad-mouthing St. Louis. But our leaders can do more than the same old politics that get us nowhere except at lower population numbers.
11/20/2006 9:56 PM
What program do you cut in order to pay for more prisions? There are alternatives to locking people away. How about drug court, education or job training? I agree police can only do so much. People have to invest in their own community get involved and develop a solution. Stop complaining and do something other than write a letter.
11/20/2006 9:57 PM
I commend Carter because today on my drive from 170 and Natural Bridge, I saw many young African Americans on the Corner.
Why is this tolerated in some areas of the City but not others?
11/20/2006 10:16 PM
To Mr. Duckworth,
It's called freedom of association, or perhaps freedom of assembly. That is what those young black men are exercising.
While groups of men can cause havoc, I don't know what can or should be done about them while they are just hanging out.
I wish these men had a job to go to, and I am sure some of them do, but dispersing the crowd for no reason is too heavy handed for my taste.
As for the drug dealer, how does sending him to drug court help the community? I could see it for the drug user, getting into treatment can help. The drug dealer's job is to sell drugs and the quicker and longer that job is taken away from him the better.
11/21/2006 8:48 AM
-Duckworth
"from 170 and Natural Bridge, I saw many young African Americans on the Corner."
- Annon
"I wish these men had a job to go to..."
Um... The Bus ... they are wating for the bus! People use the Bus to go to work.
Ya'll need to stop Bloging And get out there.
11/21/2006 10:05 AM
Freedom of association or freedom of assembly? The first is the right to choose with whom one joins with in free speech or political action. The second is generally considered one in the same.
These rights generally do not apply when one breaks the law. Drug dealing and also FREE SPEECH can be considered breaking the law.
http://www.2600.com/rnc2004/
This is not the point.
The issue at hand is that kids are dealing drugs on our streets. I am not advocating that the kids be arrested, however something needs to be done. High level drug suppliers need to be arrested and the kids need to be the target of community outreach programs either at school, church, or a civic center. If the supply can be cut off, along with an alternative provided, then progress will be made. At the minimum, there should be more police walking the beat and patrolling the area. I saw no police last night.
11/21/2006 10:12 AM
Should I be concerned when I see groups of white kids on the corner of Chippewa and Hampton? Loughborough and Leona?
11/21/2006 11:30 AM
Doug-
You're naivete is showing.
Kids deal drugs because it's fast, easy money.
They want to "roll" with the rest of them.
Dealers use kids because they know the cops and judges will be easier on them than adult perpetrators.
Street corner dealers have many known systems to beat the cops, neighborhood watch types.
They stand on the corner, hide a bag of dope in an alley, all sorts of things to avoid being caught with the goods on them.
The cops are hamstrung to be effective in reducing drug trafficing, and it ain't the street corner drug dealers who are the root cause.
11/21/2006 11:31 AM
Legalize the drugs and remove the opportunity to make a lot of money. Partner it with draconian penalties for crimes committed while on drugs. Community members, step forward and mentor our young people toward an honest future (and yes, I do this myself). See what happens.
11/21/2006 11:41 AM
If Mokwa went into the Northside, "Rudy" style, people would bitch to high-heaven. But that's the only thing he can do. That's the only solution, to completely saturate the place with police. What happens then? The inevitable clash, and then we have riots. Police can't win.
And to the person who mentioned referring bad properties to nuisance committees, that's chasing one's tail. All the nuisance committees do is send a warning letter that goes unheeded. If by chance a person loses their occupancy permit and the property is boarded up, they'll just move next door and do the same thing. And the process starts over. Many people make good money fomenting this process.
But it's all a shell game. The City really wants all these criminals to leave, unrealistic as that is.
11/21/2006 1:38 PM
Anon,
I said the supply of drugs needs to be addressed. The police should be using tactical units to monitor and collect evidence against the drug suppliers. Along with the DoJ and FBI, large cases can be made which will attack the supply of drugs. The resources of law enforcement should not be used against street level offenders.
Along with community programs which address the attractiveness of the drug trade, real improvements will be made. We cannot lock up these kids in jail, but we can incarcerate those who supply them with drugs, and we can address the reasons why they deal drugs.
This idea is a cooperation between law enforcement and the community. If they do not work together, then the problem will simply replicate itself. Until crack gets out of the ghetto and the kids realize that drugs are not glamorous, nothing will change. The responsibility is in the hands of the police and the community.
11/21/2006 3:18 PM
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11/21/2006 5:34 PM
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11/21/2006 5:40 PM
Why doesn't Slay get on his high horse and get control of the police department. Slay should tell Blunt to do something to help the city get control. The way it is now is stupid.
11/21/2006 9:42 PM
I know Alderman Carter very well and he's very involved in his community. He has been the only Alderman I know that has walked the community every week. I saw him and spoke to him about the crime in our city. As far as knowing the young people he knows them and they know him. And he has helped quite of few of them acquire some jobs and helped them get into some educational or job training program. But we cannot always drop the problem in our elected officials lap. What have we trully done to help alleviate the problem. How many young kids have you helped? And how many times have we turned our head not getting involved???????,,,,,,(Involved neighbor)
11/27/2006 12:38 PM
My son was murdered on September 4, 2006 on the northside of st louis,at the Citgo gas station on the corner of Lillian and Goodfellow. Two young men shot him down like an animal and about 30 people watched. (refer to article to the editor, STL American paper dated Nov 16-22) This station is known for people getting off of highway 70 and goodfellow and going directly to this station to buying everything other than gas.I have complained to so many people about this area and crime continues to flourish, someone needs to "Stop" these people from coming here and fronting like they are a legitimate business, also we need to send a very strong message to all the men and women in that area that this will not be tolerated anymore. Alderman Carter I have written you a couple times and not once have you responded to me. This is a big problem, and yes St Louis is the most dangerous city, and should be number one.There is gun fire every night from that area and nothing is being done. My question is why?
12/10/2006 6:48 PM
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10/27/2007 7:38 PM
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