^Interesting. I guess I'm just noticing them more, for whatever reason.
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Here is my most recent post on Inmost City. It's about the number of homicides in the city crossing the 200 mark.
John Hayden is the new police Chief.
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... sioner.cfm
I'm pretty happy with this pick, all things considered. I was worried they were going to go with a less qualified candidate, or just dump O'Toole out there again. This guy seems pretty solid.
I am concerned how he handles police misconduct. That's my only real worry with him.
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... sioner.cfm
I'm pretty happy with this pick, all things considered. I was worried they were going to go with a less qualified candidate, or just dump O'Toole out there again. This guy seems pretty solid.
I am concerned how he handles police misconduct. That's my only real worry with him.
The spike in homicides has hit Kansas City, too:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/d ... 92b8f.html
http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/d ... 92b8f.html
Why Inequality Predicts Homicide Rates Better Than Any Other Variable
http://economichardship.org/archive//th ... nd-respect
http://economichardship.org/archive//th ... nd-respect
What a complete load of garbage.... A website called Economic Hardship is going to try to look for any data that supports what it's trying to sell. And they don't have data that correlates the causation.hebeters2 wrote: ↑Jan 02, 2018Why Inequality Predicts Homicide Rates Better Than Any Other Variable
http://economichardship.org/archive//th ... nd-respect
If it were inequality, those homicides would be poor on rich or rich on poor....but they're not.
This doesn't explain the drop in crime in the 90s (perhaps late 80s), where inequality really started to present itself. Some say Rudy of New York's "Tough on Crime" was the factor for that city...but crime dropped all over the country, not just in NYC. Some say it was the drop in crack use. In reality, the biggest factor in reduction of crime in the late 80s, early 90s was the legalization of abortion back in the late 60s. Watch Freakonomics
From NYTimes article https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/us/v ... ease-.html:
"“There are pockets of increased violence across the country that demand an increased response from all levels of government,” said Adam Gelb, director of the public safety project at The Pew Charitable Trusts. “But there is no indication that we’re in the midst of a crime wave, and no justification to return to the failed policies of the past.”
He added: “What’s going on? No one really knows. And if someone says they do know, you ought to be deeply suspicious. It’s too early to tell anything.”
Among the reasons cited for the increase are a profusion of handguns, poverty and social isolation, warring gangs involved in the drug trade, and police officers who are questioning fewer people and making fewer arrests for fear of being criticized by superiors and civil rights groups.
Each hypothesis has its detractors. But one theory that has gained traction of late is that violence has increased as police legitimacy has been questioned after the fatal police shootings of unarmed African-Americans. The shootings, many of which have been captured on video over the last three years, have been widely disseminated via the news media and on the internet."
Why is it starting to increase again? Is it? Jury still out.
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they also didn't argue causation. they said inequality predicts homicide rates--as in there's a statistical correlation. i haven't read any of the scholars the article cited (who couldn't possibly be reputable b/c the name of a website, apparently). i doubt you have either. but i'm guessing their research is a little more extensive than 2 YouTube videos and a NY Times article.
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There was a robbery on the Blue line heading East about 30 minutes ago. Black guy robbed a black woman. A few of us asked "what the *****?" and the black guy replied that he would knock our ***** teeth out if we don't mind our business. When he got off at Central West End, he threatened a white guy stating he needed to mind his business again.
And guess what? Not one damn security guard or cop in sight. I defend the MetroLink constantly, but the people that run it are worthless. It's rush hour and there's a Blues game tonight. The train was packed with people and this sh*t still happened. The guy who robbed the woman was sitting right behind me and kept saying he'd knock my teeth out, if I kept looking at him. A family was right across from me and they were terrified.
I, of course, reported this incident to the police and was looking at him to get as best of a description of him as possible. They already had a call in about him, but I was able to describe the incident a little better and where he was heading (CWE bus center).
And guess what? Not one damn security guard or cop in sight. I defend the MetroLink constantly, but the people that run it are worthless. It's rush hour and there's a Blues game tonight. The train was packed with people and this sh*t still happened. The guy who robbed the woman was sitting right behind me and kept saying he'd knock my teeth out, if I kept looking at him. A family was right across from me and they were terrified.
I, of course, reported this incident to the police and was looking at him to get as best of a description of him as possible. They already had a call in about him, but I was able to describe the incident a little better and where he was heading (CWE bus center).
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^ 
did he have a weapon? i'm surprised nobody else on the train was packing.
this city needs a purge on multiple levels...
did he have a weapon? i'm surprised nobody else on the train was packing.this city needs a purge on multiple levels...
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Couldn't say for sure. He had a big sweatshirt on, but kept grabbing at his waist. If someone would have busted out a gun to play hero, it would have turned out horribly. There were a bunch of people that could possibly catch a stray bullet.
Can you tweet it to @tonymess or Elliot Davis or something to make sure it hits the news? Nothing but full-on and constant media pressure will make the agencies take this seriously.
You can also tweet the night reporter @NassimBnchabane (that is the correct ID)
- 88
I tweeted at Tony Messenger. I doubt anything will happen as no one got hurt. It was just annoying as I could have easily hopped up and yelled at a cop to grab him, but no one was around.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
First, robbery isn't just "annoying." Someone playing music without headphones is "annoying."
Second,if I may ask - around where did the theft happen and for how long did the person ride the train? Or in other words, between where and where did passengers look for security/police and see none?
Second,if I may ask - around where did the theft happen and for how long did the person ride the train? Or in other words, between where and where did passengers look for security/police and see none?
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Robbery took place around Skinker and he road til CWE. I was scanning for guards and didn’t see one. FP/D might have had one, but they always chill near the stairs or to the side of the stairs. Either way, I didn’t see them.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Agreed by the way that robbery isn’t annoying. It’s annoying that it could have been so easy to catch this guy.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Bids to be sought for MetroLink security analysis
The East-West Gateway Council of Governments plans to begin the search for a firm to conduct a security analysis of the MetroLink system.
The organization will begin seeking bids this month from consultants to conduct a systemwide security assessment, said Jim Wild, executive director of East-West Gateway....
...“We expect that this security study will give us additional information on how we can most effectively apply our resources to enhance public safety on MetroLink,” County Executive Steve Stenger said in a statement.
The study will also look into whether a barrier system should be installed to limit entry to MetroLink stations, according to a release from St. Louis County.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is scheduled to do its tri-annual security assessment of the MetroLink system in February. The TSA assessments establish security standards for mass transit rail and bus systems nationwide.
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/new ... j=79479261
That's pretty disturbing (the robbery story).
Why has it been so difficult to earmark the funds to just get a cop on each platform at least? And penalize the ones who fail to do their jobs? You're doing no good if you're up at the top of the CWE station by the ticketing booths, or in your car, or anywhere else. Riders need to feel safe as soon as they get on a train and as soon as they get off.
Why has it been so difficult to earmark the funds to just get a cop on each platform at least? And penalize the ones who fail to do their jobs? You're doing no good if you're up at the top of the CWE station by the ticketing booths, or in your car, or anywhere else. Riders need to feel safe as soon as they get on a train and as soon as they get off.
^ It has nothing to do with funds. Well, I suppose putting a police officer on every platform might require more funds. But that's not the point.
The problem is that the police agencies say they're staffing Metro (and getting paid to do it): at least 44 from the County alone (link; the County has since said they increased that by 50%, so let's say 60), 16 from the City, plus St. Clair County.
So on the Missouri side, there are supposedly at least 70 police officers. But if you asked a typical day-to-day, end-to-end rider how many police officers were working, you might get an answer of 2 or 3, because often you'll see a couple at Hanley, and one or twice a year near Clayton. Maybe another one randomly at Stadium.
So break the 70 Missouri police officers into two and a half shifts plus weekends. What is that, maybe 20 officers working Metrolink every single hour it's running (conservative estimate)? Sure, fine, sometimes they are making an arrest, writing a report, whatever. But does anyone honestly believe that there are 20+ officers assigned to Metro at any given time?
That doesn't even account for the 50 or so transit safety officers ("cop impersonators" per Belmar) who should be out there too. No idea whatsoever what they're doing.
There is simply no way that the agencies are staffing Metro with even 1/4 of the police officers they're paid to. If they did, the system would not have devolved as it has. Just like you don't need a cop on every street corner, you don't need one on every train or platform. You just need a security presence, period.
As far as "...penalize the ones who fail to do their jobs," I assume you read that Belmar gave a unit commendation to them after the camera cover-up scandal? Do you think any positive change will come from the County given that attitude?
The problem is that the police agencies say they're staffing Metro (and getting paid to do it): at least 44 from the County alone (link; the County has since said they increased that by 50%, so let's say 60), 16 from the City, plus St. Clair County.
So on the Missouri side, there are supposedly at least 70 police officers. But if you asked a typical day-to-day, end-to-end rider how many police officers were working, you might get an answer of 2 or 3, because often you'll see a couple at Hanley, and one or twice a year near Clayton. Maybe another one randomly at Stadium.
So break the 70 Missouri police officers into two and a half shifts plus weekends. What is that, maybe 20 officers working Metrolink every single hour it's running (conservative estimate)? Sure, fine, sometimes they are making an arrest, writing a report, whatever. But does anyone honestly believe that there are 20+ officers assigned to Metro at any given time?
That doesn't even account for the 50 or so transit safety officers ("cop impersonators" per Belmar) who should be out there too. No idea whatsoever what they're doing.
There is simply no way that the agencies are staffing Metro with even 1/4 of the police officers they're paid to. If they did, the system would not have devolved as it has. Just like you don't need a cop on every street corner, you don't need one on every train or platform. You just need a security presence, period.
As far as "...penalize the ones who fail to do their jobs," I assume you read that Belmar gave a unit commendation to them after the camera cover-up scandal? Do you think any positive change will come from the County given that attitude?
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^Yeah. No one in management can ensure their employees are acting as directed 100% of the time, but when it becomes that institutionalized you have to go up the chain otherwise you aren't even trying to address the issue.
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sigh... more studies! it sometimes feels like regional leaders use studies to indefinitely kick the can down the road/avoid having to actually do anything.moorlander wrote: ↑Jan 10, 2018Bids to be sought for MetroLink security analysis
The East-West Gateway Council of Governments plans to begin the search for a firm to conduct a security analysis of the MetroLink system.
^Right. And it's not like they're even ready to start the study...first they have to search for a firm who will then conduct the study.
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Exactly my initial thoughturban_dilettante wrote: ↑Jan 10, 2018sigh... more studies! it sometimes feels like regional leaders use studies to indefinitely kick the can down the road/avoid having to actually do anything.moorlander wrote: ↑Jan 10, 2018Bids to be sought for MetroLink security analysis
The East-West Gateway Council of Governments plans to begin the search for a firm to conduct a security analysis of the MetroLink system.