[imc-st.louis] Draft Platform on St. Louis Policing and Crime Prevention

[Don Fitz]

Draft Platform on St. Louis Policing and Crime Prevention
Please come to the Gateway Green Alliance meeting 7 pm Wed Nov 19, 08 at 
3026 Cherokee [at Minnesota] when we will be discussing finalization of 
the draft platform on Policing and Crime Prevention.

*Green Party of St. Louis*

*Draft Platform on Policing and Crime Prevention*

Recommended by the November 15, 2008 Elston K. McCowan for Mayor 
Campaign Meeting

[This is a draft and *not* the final platform, which will appear on the 
web.]

The Green Party advocates a reevaluation of crime prevention techniques. 
Simple incarceration of mass numbers of citizens is not a long term 
solution. Nonviolent offenders should be given alternative sentences 
which lead to high school diplomas and job training.


The War on Drugs has never succeeded. We need to de-emphasize drug laws 
and decriminalize marijuana. Drug courts and alternative sentencing need 
greater funding and implementation. There must be increased funding for 
skills training and recreational programs for teens, which need to be 
easily accessible and in place throughout the city.

Ending conditions which create crime is the fundamental solution. St. 
Louis needs to work in cooperation with the federal government for full 
employment and adequate housing for all.

Nevertheless, not all crime stems from poverty. Government needs to look 
inward, establishing adequate oversight to find and root out graft and 
abuse of power. It needs also to be as hard on corporate criminals as it 
is on those on the streets.

Policing in St. Louis has been out of balance. Neither the citizens or 
our many fine officers themselves are served by a police department 
rocked by scandal.  Mayor Slay has failed to provide for even minimal 
police accountability. First he vetoed the bill for a Civilian Review 
Board which had passed in the Board of Aldermen. He did not respond 
forcefully when confronted with scandals involving rape statistics, or 
misuse of Cardinal tickets. Recently he was part of the Police Board 
which tried to sweep the Towing Scandal involving Chief Mokwa under the rug.

The mayor must fight for Local Control of St. Louis Police, with an 
effective Civilian Review Board as part of a new structure of 
accountability. A Police Board accountable only to far off politicians 
in Jefferson City has not provided adequate oversight. Beyond the 
current federal and state investigations looking at the current Towing 
Scandal, we need a Blue Ribbon Commission appointed by the Safety 
Committee of the Board of Aldermen with input from select citizen 
support groups to study and recommend sweeping structural reform within 
the Police Department. As part of this reform, the Mayor should sign a 
Memorandum of Understanding with police rank and file, guaranteeing 
collective bargaining rights with binding arbitration as part of the 
Local Control restructuring.

The Missouri annual study of racial profiling has shown no improvement 
year after year. The Police Department needs to work quickly to create a 
police force which reflects the racial make-up of the city. Furthermore, 
police should maintain the traditional stance in favor of 
non-enforcement of federal immigration law by municipal authorities.

·       There must be local control of the St. Louis Police Department 
and an effective Civilian Review Board which has subpoena power.

·       Skills training and recreational programs should be created and 
expanded.

·       End harassing immigrants and racial profiling.

·       Nonviolent offenders should be given alternative sentencing.

·       New and effective approaches need to be developed to cope with 
gang violence.

·       Influence and support legislation to change the discrepancies in 
drug sentencing (e.g. crack cocaine and powder cocaine). Culturally 
sensitive drug and rehab treatment should be required upon 
request/demand through established centers.