The list of victims of the sanctioned lawlessness in St. Louis is increasing. The downtown tragedy that took place on Feb. 18 tops the ever-growing list of the losses associated with the utter disorder taking place in our city. The progressive criminal justice policies are failing the very communities they are trying to help. Unless residents and voters wake up to that, the list of losses will only increase.
Janae Edmondson and her family obviously suffered the greatest loss. The 17- year-old volleyball player not only lost both her legs but also life as she knew it. She and her family are also most likely to grieve the loss of the future they dreamed for her.
Beyond the physical and emotional losses suffered by Edmondson and others, the region has been experiencing myriad other casualties. The lack of law and order within the city limits creates other losses as well. The city is likely to see fewer visitors, conventions or sporting events. Expect an ongoing, declining population and an inhospitable business climate. Perhaps more importantly is the damage to St. Louis’ reputation and the destruction of confidence and trust in the relationship between the city’s guardians and its citizens. This will take years to rebuild, if it ever happens.
Speaking of costs of crime, St. Louis was named by Forbes magazine in 2022 as the most dangerous city in America. Already this year, it has the dubious distinction for the highest per capita crime cost in the nation: $8,457.
The progressive leaders of St. Louis have failed to take any accountability in the role they have played in the chaos within the boundaries of Mound City. Progressive Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner disregards her duties to protect her community. Gardner’s neglect for the rule of law has allowed criminals back on our streets. Daniel Riley, the driver of the car that caused the crash resulting in the amputation of Janae Edmondson’s legs, should have never been able to skip bond 51 times and get behind the wheel of a car. Mayor Tishaura Jones’ policies thwart police from enforcing traffic laws.
These soft-on-crime progressive administrations embolden criminals. What seems to be missing from the current conversation is the acknowledgment that the toll falls primarily on the very population that the progressive leaders say they are trying to help.
In his book “Criminal (In)Justice,” Rafael A. Manguel writes that he “wanted to establish that perhaps the biggest risk associated with mass decarceration and depolicing programs — an increase in serious crime — will be disproportionately borne by those already absorbing the lion’s share of America’s existing violent crime problem, which has gotten significantly worse in many of the country’s already-troubled urban enclaves since 2015.”
The defund-the-police movement is neither popular nor viewed as particularly effective by Americans. In a USA Today-Ipsos poll, only 18% of respondents supported the defund movement, and 58% opposed it. Though white Americans (67%) and Republicans (84%) were much more likely to oppose the movement, only 28% of Black Americans and 34% of Democrats were in favor of it. In a 2022 Politico-Morning Consult poll, 75% of surveyed Americans said that “the defunding of police departments” is “a reason that violent crime is increasing in the United States.” For 49% of those polled, defunding police was regarded as a “major reason” for the rise in violent crime, while 26% said it was a “minor reason.” Only 25% said it was “not a reason.”
The problem and a portion of the responsibility lies with voters. Gardner was elected in 2016 and easily won reelection in 2020, beating her opponent by nearly 50 points. U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, who represents St. Louis, also won her reelection in 2022, also by nearly 50 points. Defund-the-police was a major platform of Bush’s campaign.
There is also a disconnect between factions of the Democratic Party. In his 2022 State of the Union address, President Joe Biden told the country: “Let’s not abandon our streets. Or choose between safety and equal justice. We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police. The answer is to fund the police. Fund them with resources and training they need to protect our communities.”
One can admit, just as the president did, that there is and has been systemic racism within the criminal justice system while at the same time acknowledge that progressive campaign of depolicing and decarceration is not the answer.
The citizens and voters of St. Louis need to wake up and realize that these losses are widespread and growing, and their progressive leaders are not delivering safety to them.
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