ST. LOUIS — The Downtown Community Improvement District has partnered with more than 30 St. Louis Public School Resource Officers to help crack down on unruly behavior on weekend nights in St. Louis.
"They know the students, know the families," said Captain Ron Johnson, former captain of the Missouri State Highway Patrol who served during the 2014 unrest in Ferguson. Downtown St. Louis' taxing district hired Johnson's safety consulting company to evaluate security needs in the neighborhood. "A lot of times the SRO's have gone to the schools. they are products of SLPS. They have a relationship, a comfort level with the students."
The foot patrols started last year but are steadily growing. Johnson said he's looking to expand the program to incorporate SROs from St. Louis County.
"They have no law enforcement authority," Johnson said. "They have no arrest powers. They are here just to communicate and talk and change behavior in a respectful way. "We want people to come down and be safe and secure, have a good time. We also want parents to be mindful of where their kids are and what they are doing. Especially as we get into the late-night hours of St. Louis."
There have been problems all spring and summer with teens gathering in the streets. Just last weekend, a gunman opened fire in a crowd of teenagers who had gathered downtown, injuring two teenage girls.
Video footage posted to social media shows officers detaining and questioning several suspects in the moments after the shooting. Most of them appeared to be high school age.
City leaders urged parents not to leave their teenage children downtown without adult supervision. The city also banned electric scooters until further notice in the Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods in an effort to curb crimes involving youth.