As Republican legislators continue forcing bills toward the governor’s desk to strip St. Louis residents of the right to control their own police force, the city’s historic decline in crime is now entering its third month.
During the first two months of 2025, there were 15 homicides through March 2, 2025, a decrease of 16 compared to the same period of 2024. Last year, the city recorded its fewest homicides since 2013.
According to St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department statistics, violent crime again fell, including a 36% decrease in burglaries, 42% decrease in auto thefts, and 53% decrease in shooting incidents.
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, who will face Alderwoman Cara Spencer in the April 8 mayoral election, said “One life affected by violent crime is one too many.”
“[This] is why it is extremely encouraging to see the amount of violent crime continue to drop drastically in St. Louis. We have more work to do, but violent crime is on the retreat in St. Louis, and I am incredibly thankful to the [police department,] the Circuit Attorney’s Office, the Office of Violence Prevention, and the community organizations and residents who do so much to make St. Louis safer.”
In 2023, city police officers received raises ranging from 8% to 13%, and earlier this year, Jones approved raises of up to 7%. According to the mayor’s office, negotiations on another round of raises are underway “to increase the department’s competitiveness and show the City’s appreciation for our officers.”
The Office of Violence Prevention, which designs and coordinates violence intervention programs, has also been successful in helping reduce crime.
Community organizations including Show Me Peace (de-escalation and life coaching), the Diamond Diva Empowerment Foundation (supporting survivors of domestic violence), and Living in Victory (housing for people recovering from substance abuse) are helping “to stop violence before it happens by helping people get onto and stay on a non-violent path where they can thrive.”
OVP neighborhoods experienced a reported 52% decrease in murders and nonnegligent manslaughter from 2023 to 2024, outperforming the rest of the city.
Despite a 43% drop in homicides in St. Louis from 2020 to 2024, state legislators continue their efforts to take away local control of the SLMPD, including a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
The legislature and Gov. mike Kehoe would be ignoring the 63.9% of Missourians who voted for local control in 2012.
Of note, the state saw a drop of 35% in the same period, largely in part to St. Louis’ murder rate decline.
“When given a chance to vote on this issue, Missourians were extremely clear that they believe local police departments should be accountable to local residents. And under local leadership, St. Louis is now becoming a safer city,” said Jones.
“But as it turns out, Missouri Republicans don’t care about the safety or the will of the people of this state.”
The state has control over the Kansas City Police Department, and crime is on the rise, especially homicide.
Last week, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told KMOX the state’s police board appointment process in his city has, “at times, led to political appointments rather than ones focused on addressing public safety.”
“Everyone in the city says what holds us back is public safety and I cannot say honestly to anyone in Kansas City, St. Louis, or anyone in Missouri that state control is a better system,” said Lucas.
Missouri Independent columnist Barbara Shelley of Kansas City wrote this week, “State control reduces accountability, silences the voices of citizens and creates an insular, defensive police structure. Its outcomes cannot be defended. And one can’t ignore the optics of white Republican politicians, many from rural areas, refusing to allow the state’s largest cities, both led by Democratic Black mayors, to control their own destiny.”
“Crime rates are indeed unacceptable in St. Louis, and in Kansas City as well. That’s been the case for decades, and state control hasn’t moved the needle. If the governor really wants to reduce crime, he’ll look at reforming Missouri’s gun laws, providing more mental health services around the state and finding creative ways to promote safety.”