Tempers flared at an East-West Gateway Council meeting Wednesday. The group of regional leaders is working to curb crime in the St. Louis metro. It wants homicides reduced by 20% within the next three years.
How to achieve that goal is what lead to a clash.
"I sat here and I've listened to all of your amendments but this one I'm drawing the line,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said to St. Charles County Executive Director Steve Ehlmann. "You can no longer mandate what we do in the City of St. Louis department no more than I can mandate what you do in St. Charles.”
The East-West Gateway Council is creating an advisory board to help fight crime. It will be made up of a diverse group, including social workers.
"Social workers are the key.... If police answer a call and he ascertain what's going on, he can immediately call the social worker to come in, talk to the family, and see what kind
of services they will be needed so that will free that police officer up to go do another call,” said Ferguson Mayor Ella Jones.
Ehlmann suggested St. Louis hires 10 more police officers before social workers are added to the board.
"So are you going to mandate that Clayton hires 10 more officers?" Mayor Tishaura Jones asked Ehlmann. "No,” he responded. “And you're not going to mandate that St. Louis city does either,” Jones continued.
5 On Your Side caught up with Ehlmann after the meeting.
"I think probably having a good police force is more important but I'm willing to try the other stuff but are we really in a position here where we want to do experiments?" he asked.
Ehlmann says crime is holding the region back.
"When they see St. Louis and they see we’re the number three crime city… The first thing they ask is, ‘where's a safe place to stay?" he continued.
Ehlmann says one problem is -- St. Louis is paying police officers lower than other municipalities, including his own.
"Some people might say, ‘well, where do we get the money?” 5 On Your side asked.
“Well I could give you three words, but I don't even need to say three words, I'll give you 3 letters. NFL,” he responded, seemingly referring to St. Louis soon having to decide how to spend Rams settlement money.
Mayor Tishaura Jones says the city is working to staff the police department with a class of 11 officers just graduating, 17 in class now and some 30 officers set to start in a couple of months.
In the end, the council shot down Ehlmann's ideas, which included making sure there were as many police and prosecutors on the as there are social workers on the new board. The council decided that of the nearly six dozen seats, police will make up 19, elected leaders will make up 18. Business leaders, community leaders and social workers will make up the rest.