A last minute push to get St. Louisans to vote on police pay was underway on Saturday. Prop P would give officers in the city of St. Louis more money. Voters will go to the polls to decide on the ballot measure on Tuesday, Nov. 7th. But, with the vote just days away, we found opinion is divided.
"These men and women need more money to do the dangerous jobs they do."
St. Louisan Daniel Ryan said his vote is already a done deal. He's in favor of giving city officers a boost in pay.
"For the job they do, that they aren't paid anywhere close to what they should be paid," he said.
In April, St. Louis county voters passed Prop P, a ballot measure to increase funding for public safety. The measure included a 30 percent raise for county officers. The city's version of Prop P is similar. It intends to give the police department more than 12 million dollars to raise officer’s salaries. If it doesn't pass, Ryan believes city officers will turn to the county for more money.
"Good for the county, bad for us," Ryan said.
Socialist Alternative St. Louis is an organization that is against Prop P. They were out talking to residents in the Marine Villa neighborhood to get them to vote no.
"We want to put our money and our taxes toward are communities; toward rebuilding some of these neighborhoods that have been blighted and left unattended,” said Miranda Alexander with Socialist Alternative St. Louis.
Alexander has been talking to voters since October. The half-cent sales tax increase she believes hurt the city's poorest communities. She also thinks police get enough money.
"The money is already there and being spent on the police it is just not being managed in a way that benefits us as citizens."
Prop P is not just about giving more money to police. There will be millions given to the St. Louis Fire Department to raise the salaries of firefighters. Also, money will go to the circuit attorney’s office, social services, to demolish derelict buildings and more.
