ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Some St. Louis County leaders are fighting to preserve police funding with a resolution to the county’s police department budget. The County Council is expected to vote on the resolution Tuesday, following months of nationwide Defund the Police protests, including some in St. Louis.
District 6 Councilman Ernie Trakas introduced the funding resolution. It states funding for the police should remain the same as what was appropriated in the 2020 budget. The resolution would last through 2024.
The discussion comes amid concerns over potential budget cuts due to low sales tax revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The point is to make a clear statement that while cuts will be necessary, no department is more important than the county police department,” said Councilman Trakas.
Trakas said his concern is that less money would lead to less training for officers. This resolution gets council members on record to not touch the budget, even if other parts of the government must make cuts.
“We’re in precarious times and cannot risk compromising the rule of law in our community and our society,” he explained. “With the election looming and potential for more unrest, I want to make sure county citizens know their safety is important and primary.”
However, supporters of defunding the police say their movement is not about stripping away money from departments. Their goals are to reorganize funds into other areas like housing and education, and shift resources and responsibility from police to other community groups who are trained to handle crises.
Councilman Trakas, a Republican who represents District 6 in south county, is running for reelection in November against Bob Burns.