If ever there was proof that the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department should be returned to the City’s control and scrutinized by an independent Civilian Review Board, the latest police escapade involving use of impounded vehicles is it, according to Alderman Terry Kennedy.
Kennedy, chair of the Aldermanic Black Caucus and author of proposed legislation to create an independent review board, said Tuesday “this clearly illustrates the need for civilian review and local control.”
Kennedy said the argument that State control of the city police department provides the city with better internal control “is now blown away.”
A defiant Chief Joe Mokwa blamed his daughter’s drug use, erratic behavior and the family crisis he created by not considering her 2002 car accident in an impounded vehicle a serious matter.
After staying holed up and not commenting for four days, Mokwa read a statement before the press Tuesday afternoon in which he said he had done nothing wrong.
In a scene many saw as similar to President Richard Nixon’s “I’m not a crook” comment during a 1973 press conference, Mokwa said, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Instead, he blamed his daughter Aimie Mokwa and her husband, a former St. Louis police officer, for his latest troubles.
As for “failing to recognize the significance” of the 2002 crash, Mokwa said, “That was my mistake.”
He blamed “disturbing issues with my daughter” and apologized “for my error in judgement.”
He did not field questions from the press and dashed out a door behind him immediately after uttering his last words.
The Board of Police Commissioners hired a private law firm to conduct an investigation into the relationship between S&H Towing, Mokwa and the police department.
That immediately caught the attention of U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway, whose office is now looking into the murky deal and reportedly has at least six officers willing to testify about S&H and improper use of vehicles.
Board attorneys have stated that further investigation would not be needed “if the chief had been forthright.”
Mayor Francis G. Slay – himself a lawyer – is a member of the board of police commissioners and longtime Mokwa ally. In fact, Mokwa and Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly are usually cited as the Slay machine’s top choices as their handpicked successor.
Card tix, skewed stats
Mokwa’s administration has been littered with controversial episodes, including illegal use of confiscated World Series tickets and thousands of dollars missing from an evidence vault. Also, the department skewed rape statistics by filing them as “memos” instead of crime reports.
Yet, Mokwa has never faced demotion or suspension, unlike the city’s first African-American Fire Chief Sherman George.
Though Slay serves on the police board, his chief of staff, Jeff Rainford, has told the American that there is no basis for comparing Slay’s treatment of Mokwa with his treatment of George because the City does not control the police department.
In a statement, Slay said Mokwa’s future as police chief “depends on his version of these events being true – and on his ability to convince city residents and his own officers that he can continue (leading) the police department.”
S&H/ Simon/ Slay
In another twist, according to incorporation documents filed with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, attorney Paul Simon Jr. (a principal at Sauerwein, Simon & Blanchard in Clayton) is listed as S&H Towing’s registered agent. A Secretary of State Corporate Division spokesperson said a registered agent is the contact person, not necessarily owner, and may be retained to assist with filings.
According to City records, Ken Bialczak signed for S&H when it paid for its most recent business license – for a $1,500 fee, appropriate for businesses with 11-20 employees – as well as for a recent application to operate a wrecker.
Neither Simon Jr. not Bialczak immediately returned calls to the American yesterday.
Paul Simon Jr. is the son of retired Missouri Court of Appeals Judge Paul J. Simon and the brother of former Public Safety Director Sam Simon, a former City police officer.
According to Mayor Slay’s Wikipedia site, the Slay and Simon families are related. The Slay and Simon families have political and business connections that date back decades. According to his official bio, Mayor Slay also was a law clerk for Judge Simon.
‘No confidence in Mokwa’
St. Louis Police Officer Association president Sgt. Gary Wiegert said this week, “I had no confidence in Mokwa before and I certainly don’t have any now.”
Kennedy found it interesting that the POA, which is steadfastly against forming a Civilian Review Board, favors an independent examination of the towing scandal.
“So it’s OK for them to seek an independent review, but not the citizens of St. Louis?” he asked.
“This is not an indictment of police. But we’ve said from the start that the police cannot police themselves. A review board would provide legitimacy and increase a feeling a confidence in the community,” Kennedy said.
The Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression released a statement during a Tuesday press conference outside City Hall on Tuesday calling for the Public Safety Committee of the Board of Aldermen to create a “Blue Ribbon Commission to look at the dismal pattern of policies and practices within the department.”
Reading the statement on behalf of the organization, activist Zaki Baruti said a Civilian Review Board “would have been the perfect body for this type of instigation.”
Slay was also challenged to explain his own involvement in hiring a private law firm to investigate the matter and “his lack of rigorous oversight in initially accepting (the law firm’s) report.”
The group also agrees with Kennedy that local control of the police department is vital to the city’s future.
“(Police commissioners appointed by the governor) have shown once again that they will consistently fail to understand public perception,” the group said.
“Their lack of accountability to the citizens of St. Louis does the department great harm and undermines the good work of officers who must rely on the goodwill and cooperation of our citizens.”
Additional reporting by Sandra Jordan.