urbanSTL

Mark Groth wrote: ↑

Jun 20, 2017

Help from the state on it's way:

Missouri Highway Patrol troopers will soon be patrolling interstates in St. Louis as part of a 90-day pilot program to free up city police officers to focus on violent crime.

Between 20 and 30 troopers will be assigned to the special detail, which will focus on the stretches of Interstates 55 and 70 that fall within the city limits, said Missouri Highway Patrol Cpl. Juston Wheetley. About eight troopers will be on each shift.

The troopers also will be available to back up city police officers if they’re ever in need of assistance, but their primary focus will be traffic enforcement, Wheetley said.

“There’s a lot of violent crime in that area, and we will be aggressively enforcing all traffic and hazardous movement to free up city officers to focus on the violent crime in those areas,” he said. “We’re really looking forward to partnering with the city and assisting them in any role that we can.”

Nice to see cooperation.

That is good news. What's your source, if you don't mind?

-RBB

Source - http://www.kmov.com/story/35703958/mshp ... lent-crime

STLToday: Police overtime - $1.3 million a month - strains St. Louis budget

Also in this article:

On Thursday, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger announced that county police officers would receive one-time raises averaging 30 percent next year.

I knew with the county sales tax passing officer salaries were going to go up, but 30%? That is significant.

The hits keep coming.

ST. LOUIS • The failure of the St. Louis Police Department to maintain detailed time sheets and supporting documents makes it impossible to verify hundreds of thousands of hours of paid overtime, according to an audit of the department’s overtime pay.

The report, completed by the St. Louis comptroller’s office in May, analyzed the police department’s overtime hours between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, when overtime pay totaled roughly $5 million over budget
...

Full-time officers work roughly 2,080 hours in a year. The audit revealed one officer earned $77,004 for 1,821 hours in overtime, on top of those regular hours. Another worked 1,757 overtime hours and made an additional $75,692. A third took home $62,854 for 1,159 hours of overtime.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crim ... 977de.html


But let's take down that statue ASAP, right Lyda?

stlhistory wrote: ↑

Jun 30, 2017

^That's 70-75 hours a week for 52 weeks a year, no vacations or sick days. Fraud in the SLMPD...?

Of course it's fraud. Just like the waste and fraud and stealing in every other department of city government and government in general. That's why I'm against every single tax increase and fee raise for anything ever ever ever. It's a joke and we need the money in the hands of the people and not filtered through a fraudulent bureaucracy.

Nothing to see here.

ST. LOUIS • A female victim was shot in the leg in downtown St. Louis Sunday evening, but police said little about the circumstances.

It's not clear how old the victim is. Police say she was shot shortly before 6:30 near 10th Street and Washington Avenue.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crim ... e7d8d.html

Probably a drug deal gone bad.


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leeharveyawesome wrote: ↑

Jul 01, 2017

Of course it's fraud. Just like the waste and fraud and stealing in every other department of city government and government in general. That's why I'm against every single tax increase and fee raise for anything ever ever ever. It's a joke and we need the money in the hands of the people and not filtered through a fraudulent bureaucracy.

Only spend your money on corporations, which are completely immune to waste and corruption.

Under Trumpcare, surviving a gunshot wounds gives you a "pre-existing condition"
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... shot-wound

Incredibly, all 25 homicides in the city last month occurred north of Delmar; the percentage of homicides in North has increased for the year, but to have all in a single month is a weird outlier. Also, the 25 homicides in June was the second highest monthly toll since 2010.... there were 27 last August.

I believe we may be at 12 already for July.

More criminal chaos on our highways. This must stop. Tolls now!

Stltoday - Major Case Squad investigating shooting on I-44 in Webster Groves

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crim ... 9dee2.html

I'm surprised nobody posted about the shooting at Union Station MetroLink.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crim ... 2c828.html

framer wrote: ↑

Jul 11, 2017

I'm surprised nobody posted about the shooting at Union Station MetroLink.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crim ... 2c828.html

Drug deals are pretty consistent at this station which is ironic as the DEA is literally steps away from it.

Interesting, 5 months left in the year and we are 82 murders away from being tied with last years numbers. Also today, there wad a police chase in Tower Grove South.

http://www.slmpd.org/images/Homicide_S ... ebsite.pdf

chaifetz10 wrote: ↑

Jul 13, 2017

I rode the Metro from the airport to the CWE this evening and had a pretty bad experience. Anecdotal evidence and all that but... most of the ride went just fine. But the final two stops saw some people board the train and get into a heated argument. One (a family with about 4 small children) left the train when I did and the other party got off to continue confronting them. Guards at the top of the stairs saw and heard the whole thing but didn't even move an inch. Definitely made me feel a little unsafe and I'm a huge supporter of transit.

I wouldn't ride it, it's pretty much a lost cause at this point. Guards barely above minimum wage, illegal to ride with a CCW, zero turnstiles... remember to thank a local bureaucrat next time you see crime on the Metrolink.

CWEguy wrote: ↑

Jul 15, 2017

I wouldn't ride it, it's pretty much a lost cause at this point. Guards barely above minimum wage, illegal to ride with a CCW, zero turnstiles... remember to thank a local bureaucrat next time you see crime on the Metrolink.

CWEguy wrote:

chaifetz10 wrote: ↑

Jul 13, 2017

I rode the Metro from the airport to the CWE this evening and had a pretty bad experience. Anecdotal evidence and all that but... most of the ride went just fine. But the final two stops saw some people board the train and get into a heated argument. One (a family with about 4 small children) left the train when I did and the other party got off to continue confronting them. Guards at the top of the stairs saw and heard the whole thing but didn't even move an inch. Definitely made me feel a little unsafe and I'm a huge supporter of transit.

I wouldn't ride it, it's pretty much a lost cause at this point. Guards barely above minimum wage, illegal to ride with a CCW, zero turnstiles... remember to thank a local bureaucrat next time you see crime on the Metrolink.

St Louis is a disgrace


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Just to dogpile -- another "great" Metro story to share..

My SIL riding Metro a few weeks ago from airport to Shrewsbury. Stop after airport (Hanley?) three punks get on. Reek of alcohol. They sit behind her and immediately start harassing and making comments. I won't repeat what they said. No security. No cops. Understandably she's scared out of her mind.

Thankfully another patron intervened, distracted these a**holes long enough for her to exit at UMSL stop. She waited at the police substation. Made sure the coast was clear and called an Uber.

That's it for her. No more Metro. Don't blame her a bit.

For some background: she recently moved to KC but was STL resident for +10-years, city resident. She did a lot of work in city neighborhoods. Rode the Metro to UMSTL, airport for years. No shrinking violet and can handle herself in tough spots.

The best part? She'd just spent a week in NYC -- riding the subway all over the city. Never 1 problem. 10 minutes in STL and she's ready to call the cops.

I can only imagine what a first time visitor to our fine burg would think.

Story makes me sick and furious. Still does. I rode the Metro for +2-yrs when I first moved here. By all accounts it is unrecognizable from 10 - 12 yrs ago. I truly feel sorry for people that have to take it, have no alternative.

I agree, at times, St. Louis is disgraceful.

With the massive Herbalife convention in town, a lot of convention goers have packed the system. Police also are heavily patrolling the red line from Lambert to Downtown.

urban_dilettante wrote: ↑

Jul 15, 2017

CWEguy wrote: ↑

Jul 15, 2017

I wouldn't ride it, it's pretty much a lost cause at this point. Guards barely above minimum wage, illegal to ride with a CCW, zero turnstiles... remember to thank a local bureaucrat next time you see crime on the Metrolink.

Thanks for your riveting contribution, where would we be without you?