During the past two weeks, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has frequently been in the news.
St. Louis area residents have learned that crime shot up in the city by a large percentage, due in part to suspect crime reporting by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Among the crimes that spiraled higher in incidence was rape. Sadly, with more honest record-keeping on this heinous crime, and with more women coming forward after the police department was shamed by a series of articles in the Post-Dispatch last year, the city must face the fact that rape is on the increase. In fact, all violent crime is up.
Shocked citizens also watched a city police officer join in the “alleged” beating of a suspect who fled Maplewood police officers before finally being arrested in St. Louis on Monday morning.
St. Louisans also learned that police are seeking a sizable raise, including a huge one for Police Chief Joe Mokwa.
Meanwhile, the men and women of the St. Louis Fire Department, under the leadership of Chief Sherman George, continue to protect people and property in St. Louis without releasing shady statistics and without alleged (and apparent) misconduct by employees.
So the Political EYE again wonders why it is George who is constantly under duress from Mayor Francis Slay’s office and some City Hall officials? Why is George graded down on job reviews for simply doing his job, while Mokwa was never reprimanded for the crime stats fiasco and out-of-control behavior of some of his officers?
In a week that saw the city lose Kathryn Nelson and the world lose Coretta Scott King, some people at City Hall should ask themselves if they are indeed judging the fire and police chiefs on the content of their character and not the color of their skin.
