As leaders and marched last Saturday morning in Alderman Jeffrey Boyd’s 22nd ward to “stop the violence,” one “leader” was noticeably MIA; Mayor Francis Slay. The umpteenth elected mayor’s absence was notable since Alderman Boyd is one of the mayor’s few elected Black allies. Crime seems to be out of control in St. Louis and the Mayor Slay is taking the milquetoast approach of being “sensitive” while homicides are up 60% from last year.

22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd (center)

STLToday:

The bodies are found on downtown streets and neighborhood alleys. Near O’Fallon Park in the north, and Gravois Park in the southTheir number is tallied nearly every morning. Two, three, four — sometimes more. With the homicide rate on target to reach its highest level in 20 years, St. Louis police are coming under increasing pressure. So is the man who two years ago won control of the department to hold it more accountable.

“I wouldn’t want to be in Mayor Slay’s shoes,” said Todd Swanstrom, a professor who specializes in urban politics at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  Mayor Francis Slay wrested oversight of city police from the state in 2013, the first time since the Civil War. With the change has come more power over police strategy, but also more political responsibility for it. Read more…

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