By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, December 21, 2006 at 11:16 AM
In the same week that President George W. Bush finally realized that America is not winning the war in Iraq, Police Chief Jow Mokwa has apparently realized that he is losing the war against crime in St. Louis and he says he has a plan to address it -- but he isn't saying what it is. Not yet.
The Post-Dispatch's Tim O'Neil reports Mokwa told the Police Board yesterday that he is preparing a "major reorganization" of the department to fight an increase in crime that was outlined in a new FBI report.
"Mokwa did not provide details, but said after the meeting the reorganization would include new assignments for some ranking officers and some changes in unit structures. He said he will announce some of it before Jan. 1," reports O'Neil.
"Everything we are figuring on will be about combating crime ... and reducing crime," Mokwa said. "Throughout the nation, crime is going up, and we are never immune from that trend. Nobody wants St. Louis to become the crime epicenter."
At this point we can only hope that Mokwa's plan involves shuffling cops to put more of a police presence in those areas of the city where most of the violent crime is occuring.
UPDATE: Mayor Slay says the city will pay for the police departement to hire 40 new police officers. Again, no word on how (or where) these cops will be used differently.
6 Comments:
Duhuggh! Earth to Mokwa. St. Louis is the epicenter for crime!
12/21/2006 1:19 PM
Since in Mokwa and the mayor's view, "bad schools" are to blame for the city's crime wave, perhaps the chief will come out in favor of a state takeover of SLPS. After all, clearly the school board is to blame for a 70% increase in rapes.
12/21/2006 2:45 PM
His plan? I think it's 40 new officers, targeting repeat offenders, and more patrols in the worst neighborhoods, including some in South City. But this all sounds much like previous plans.
12/21/2006 4:20 PM
Yeah, I bet we can expect a huge policy shift in the show-me-state. As always, a little change will occur and the problem will reappear, assuming Mokwa's plan actually produces any short term positive results. I suppose we can at least wait for the plan but I predict little policy change.
12/21/2006 7:21 PM
Yep, temporary gains in a vicious cycle. The Chief himself admitted to being a believer in the "wet sponge" theory.
12/22/2006 9:50 AM
Since St Louis police department wants to follow the policy of Chicago police department and set up camera's, put them in the area that is needed the most and we all know what area that is (NORTH ST LOUIS)the crime capital of the world will continue to be that in 2007
2/22/2007 6:50 PM
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