As mayor of Ferguson, I have stood with families in some of their darkest moments. I have listened to the grief, the anger and the confusion that follows acts of violence in public spaces no community should have to endure — shootings inside a funeral home, outside a food truck and at a children’s outdoor track meet.
These tragedies happened in Ferguson, but the perpetrators came from neighborhoods across the region. Violence does not stop at a particular boundary line. And what we are facing is not just Ferguson’s problem. It’s a regional problem.
That is why our response must be far-reaching. Our efforts to prevent future violence must be effective, unified, collaborative and sustained across cities and towns, across law enforcement agencies and across the many community organizations and civic groups that offer support and strength.
That is why I support the regional anti-violence initiative Save Lives Now! The initiative began last fall at the request of regional elected leaders. Organized by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Save Lives Now! brings together law enforcement, community leaders, clergy, courts, probation and parole workers, health care workers and trusted street outreach workers in a coordinated system. The goal is to train and organize individuals across St. Louis city, St. Louis County and St. Clair County to use tactics proven to reduce shootings.
This partnership focuses those tactics on individuals known in their neighborhoods to be most at risk for gun violence, either as potential victims of retaliation or as part of groups involved in violence.
Partners in Save Lives Now! are embedded in communities most impacted by violence. They are working in about 10 neighborhoods in North St. Louis city and county, with plans to expand into parts of East St. Louis and Cahokia Heights. The people working to prevent shootings and homicides in these communities are trusted and aware of disputes that could escalate into violence.
The people working to prevent shootings step in before a trigger is pulled. They intervene. They use specialized training to mediate disputes, interrupt retaliation and mentor individuals away from violent behavior. In another approach, law enforcement and community partners conduct strategic visits with individuals known to be involved in violence. During these visits, they warn individuals of the legal and personal consequences of continued violence and connect them with services.
These are not experimental strategies. They are tactics that have been proven in cities across the country to reduce shootings and homicides.
Right now, the reach of Save Lives Now! is limited — not because the need is not there, but because resources are scarce. In the city of St. Louis, trained street outreach workers are helping prevent violence. However, there is little funding or staffing to offer similar services in North St. Louis County.
In St. Louis County, a small group of law enforcement and community partners are doing a fantastic job stopping retaliation and violence by visiting individuals at risk and connecting them with services. But they do not have the staffing needed to train and fully involve smaller police departments in this work.
Officials in the county and smaller municipalities in North County continue to urge the St. Louis County Council to invest in Save Lives Now! County leaders have held about 20 public meetings to discuss the initiative, yet funding recommended by the county executive has not been approved.
At a time when national priorities are shifting away from prevention, we must decide what kind of communities we want to build.
We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. We cannot isolate our way out of this problem. We must collaborate our way out of it.
I urge residents to speak with their elected and volunteer community leaders and county officials about this initiative. Save Lives Now! is not just an initiative — it is an imperative. We must act now.
Ella Jones is the retiring mayor of Ferguson and a member of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments Board of Directors.