There’s a saying that goes something like “you can accomplish anything if you don’t care who gets the credit.” I like that quote. I believe that quote. I quote that quote.
Not this time.
There has been outrage at some of the characters who weren’t even on the caboose of the train now trying to get into the conductor’s booth. The train is local control of the St. Louis police and the destination is St. Louis. Characters like Mayor Francis G. Slay and city-wrecking billionaire Rex Sinquefield.
The demand for local control and accountability of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department goes back to 1960s. During the civil rights era, organizations like the Congress of Racial Equality and ACTION sounded the call. The demand was part of the founding platform for the Organization for Black Struggle in 1980.
In 1983, the Coalition Against Police Crimes & Repression came together around the reckless and lethal actions of police officer Joseph Ferrario. Ferrario ran through a North Side neighborhood shooting at a 15-year-old girl like he was in the Wild West. As a result of Ferrario’s deadly negligence, an innocent, young mother by the name of Marilyn Banks was hit with one of his bullets while sitting on her porch.
Since getting St. Louis cop Eddie Sanchez fired in 1996 for the unjustifiable shooting of young Garland Carter, the coalition has been consistently and relentlessly on the case of bringing civilian review and local control to fruition.
When naysayers said it couldn’t be done, the coalition embarked upon a city-wide campaign to educate citizens about the need for community control and better governance. Over the years, not only were we able to persuade citizens but a majority of alderpeople. It was this kind of grassroots work that laid the foundation for the vote last November where 70-80 percent of the electorate (depending on the ward) favored local control.
In 2006, the Board of Aldermen passed the civilian oversight bill, only to have the bill vetoed by the Mayor Slay. That would be the same mayor trying to climb in the conductor’s chair and unseat passengers who paid their dues to be on the train with those who have other agendas.
I don’t mind riding in the same train with the likes of Slay and Rex. Well, I do mind, but you can’t always control who supports your issues. What I really mind is when they try to step on our backs to get to the front of the struggle to derail or to sidetrack the local control train.
Their kind of support has serious implications for the coalition’s organizing. There is a horde of people in this town who despise and distrust their involvement at this stage of the game. Some fervent supporters are now becoming lukewarm. Now is not the time to get cool; it’s time to heat this struggle up.
The Coalition Against Police Crimes & Repression, the Black Aldermanic Caucus and other allies have pushed this boulder three-quarters of the way up the mountain. We need the support of justice-loving citizens to help push the rest of the way, with the understanding that we want local control – not mayoral control – regardless of who the mayor is.
I am not working to give the mayor more power to abuse. I am not working to further Rex’s demented plan to bring a city to its knees. I am not working to maintain the status quo.
I am working to advance a decades-old demand by people who keep getting stepped on. I am working for those whose voices get muted by those with bigger mouths, more power and endless bucks. I am working for neighborhoods who long for public servants to serve and protect them. I am working to make sure that we can celebrate the victory of a 50-year-old demand by the community.
Local control has a good chance of passing in the state Legislature this session. If it does, we urge citizens to stay engaged until the final implementation on the local level. Now is not the time to stand on the sidelines and hurl doomsday chants. Now is the time to get on the train and make sure it arrives at its planned destination with all passengers in their appropriate seats.
