Mayor Francis G. Slay did not say the following this week when the police department his office finally controls released crime statistics that showed a surge in murders in 2013.
“I will convene a meeting to begin to address senseless violence that scars our city,” Mayor Slay did not say.
“I will bring together mothers of children killed by that violence, with members of the law enforcement community who work hard to stop it. Members of the recovery community, who know too well the hard road back from drug and alcohol abuse, and how such abuse contributes to the violence and crime. And people who know what it takes to move away from a life of violence to become productive, contributing neighbors in a safe community,” Mayor Slay did not say.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh did say these powerful, empathetic things – and many other things our mayor might learn from – during his inauguration speech on January 6.
What did Mayor Slay say, after his police chief reported an increase in homicides in 2013, from 113 to 120? He said nothing, not even on his Twitter account. He did, however, find time to tweet about eagle watching, the contract renewal of a baseball announcer and the birthday of a black alderman who has supported Slay’s mayoral campaigns.
Asked for a statement on the crime statistics by The American, Slay responded via his spokesperson, saying he was “disturbed” about the homicide rate and was trying to address it by pushing for a gun docket in the city. Of the crime statistics, he said, “It’s a report card that shows progress, but we still have a whole lot of work to do.”
Slay annually attends the annual New Year’s Eve vigil for homicide victims and speaks to this majority-black crowd with feeling about the murder epidemic in St. Louis. But we believe – like Walsh, who speaks of “One Boston” – Slay needs to speak to One St. Louis in one voice.
Mayor Walsh’s city lost 40 people to homicide last year – exactly one-third of the carnage in St. Louis in 2013, and Boston has almost exactly twice the population of this city. That number represented fewer homicides in Boston than the year before, but Walsh did not comprehend that number as an improvement on a test. He spoke as if painfully aware of human loss: “Forty homicides still represents 40 grieving mothers too many.”
Mayor Slay did not greet the announcement of these crime statistics by saying that 120 homicides in St. Louis represents 120 grieving mothers too many. He spoke of “progress” on a report card, as if the city had only been quizzed.
The “progress” in fighting crime of which Slay speaks is a dip of 5.4 percent in overall crime compared to the previous year. Slay did not explain why he is emphasizing progress in overall crime when the city’s homicide rate remains high and increased last year. But Police Chief Sam Dotson offered an explanation.
“We struggle with the perception that the city is not safe,” Dotson told The American, “and if we want to spur economic development – which would improve the social conditions that lead to crime – people need to feel comfortable with the progress we are making fighting crime in the city.”
Actually, we agree with that statement. It is good news, which should be publicized, that robberies in St. Louis decreased 18 percent, from 1,778 to 1,458 – the lowest number since 1953 – and aggravated assaults in the city decreased 11.3 percent, from 3,571 to 3,167. That gives people good reason to feel safer on the streets of St. Louis, and the mayor and police chief are right to publicize this good news.
However, the mayor’s public silence this week concerning those 120 murdered citizens – nearly all of them (104) African Americans – and those 120 grieving mothers – nearly all of them African Americans – is deeply disturbing.
“We are in this together – every neighborhood,” Mayor Slay did not say.
“We are in this together – every race and religion,” Mayor Slay did not say.
Mayor Walsh did say these powerful and important things. Slay needs to take a lesson from the new mayor of Boston.
