ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis Alderman said he and his constituents are tired of gunfire around the clock want hope to begin finding the solution with the budget up for vote in a few weeks.
“People in the neighborhood want to feel safe,” Alderman Jeffery Boyd said.
Boyd posted a Ring video to his social media pages sent to him by one of his constituents. It shows gunfire erupting in a neighborhood after midnight early on Tuesday morning. The bullets flying in and around the homeowner’s property, feet away from her family. It happened in the 5900 block of Cote Brillante in north St. Louis. Neighbors said it’s a living nightmare.
“Every day on a daily basis you should not hear gunfire, that should not be normal and that should not be our way of life and people are tired of it,” Boyd said.
Boyd said he wants to see several changes take effect immediately:
- He wants money going to support economic opportunities in struggling neighborhoods.
- Funding for the city’s Home Repair program which aids existing homeowners for property upkeep.
- Empty lots cleaned up, abandoned buildings knocked down or repurposed
- More police officers patrolling neighborhoods
“I'm not suggesting you harass anyone but when we don't pay attention to speeding,” Boyd said. "When you don't pay attention to the small stuff. It escalates into something big. When I talk to people, they feel it's a free for all when you come to the city of St. Louis.”
Boyd’s ideas go against Mayor Tishaura Jones’s plan to eliminate 98 vacant St. Louis Metro Police positions. He said Tuesday morning’s shooting is an example.
Boyd said while he doesn’t agree with parts of the mayor’s plan, he believes they both want the same thing; a safe and prosperous St. Louis. He’s open to communication and cooperation in order to see the best St. Louis.
The Board of Aldermen plans to vote on the budget later this month.