Slay in hock to white cops and firefighters
The EYE hasn’t seen too many transmissions that use the letterhead of the “St. Louis African-American Aldermanic Caucus,” but this one was worth many. This week, members of the Caucus came out unanimously in support of Board Bill 69, sponsored by Alderman Terry Kennedy, which would create St. Louis’ first Civilian Review Board – with some elected members.
Let’s get the names all in a list, in bold print. Stand proud: Michael McMillan (19th Ward), Jeffrey L. Boyd (22nd Ward), Gregory J. Carter (27th Ward), Bennice Jones King (21st Ward), Charles Q. Troupe (1st Ward), Dionne Flowers (2nd Ward), Freeman Bosley Sr. (3rd Ward), OL Shelton (4th Ward), Aril Ford-Griffin (5th Ward), Lewis Reed (6th Ward), Frank Williamson (26th Ward) and Kennedy (18th Ward).
All these folks signed onto a review board with four elected members and three appointees, saying, “The Caucus feels that the compromise outlined in Board Bill 69 is reasonable, balanced and merits support.” Mayor Francis Slay, as anyone drawing a breath in St. Louis should know by now, adamantly opposes any elected positions on such a board.
The Caucus doesn’t shy away from internal police politics, which surely is Slay’s primary motive for balking at elected member on a police review board, saying that the “board is not an indictment of the St. Louis Police Department. It in no way indicates that St. Louis has a bad police department. It is good government.”
Good politics, people. Unity on this issue is sorely needed, especially with the local NAACP president throwing in the towel before the bell has been rung, saying no other city has elected members on a review board and that this will “never” happen here. Kudos to the Caucus for insisting that St. Louis can be a leader, even in civic politics. The unity shown around this issue should be the model for greater cooperation around all issues vital to the African-American community.