The Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression is seriously concerned that a County police officer remains on duty despite charges of assault. City prosecutors have charged Ryan O’Conner with pointing his weapon at an innocent parking attendant. The attendant had merely told the off duty officer that he could not park in a restricted zone during the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Allegations of racial slurs have also been made. Clearly this officer’s out-of-control temper puts citizens at risk.

Does the County not have confidence in the judgment of the city’s Circuit Attorney?

At the very least this officer should be placed on desk duty or suspended until the County Police have completed their own investigation. To do any less is to ignore the safety and well being of our citizens.

The racial overtones of this case can also not be ignored. It should be unacceptable behavior for any officer to exhibit the biases which Officer O’Conner indulged in. When will the police departments of this metropolitan area be willing to stand up for the impartial administration of justice by setting the
standard that such language will not be tolerated?

We are further concerned that rules are being bent to protect Officer O’Conner. His father is Police Chief of Maryland Heights, and must therefore have a close relationship with County officers. Specifically, the elder O’Conner is reported to have ties to County Police Chief Jerry Lee. Colonel Lee should recuse himself from any involvement in this case, and the County Police Board must
step up to the plate to guarantee the integrity of this investigation and the County Police as a whole.

Our organization will immediately seek a meeting with County Police officials in an effort to make sure that this case is handled appropriately from here on out.

It’s enough to drive a legislator to create a house bill declaring war on metal bandits. El-Amin filed the bill Tuesday with Rep. Rodney Hubbard as a chief co-sponsor.

“This is a real issue, that has caused an undue financial burden on residents in St. Louis, both North and South, and it’s our desire to address legislatively, those who steal and those who abet and condone this activity by accepting it”, states Representative El-Amin.

In a statement released Tuesday, El-Amin writes that these junkyard scofflaws are getting off with stripping gutters, siding, outdoor air-conditioning units and tailpipes. There is no metal they won’t steal and sell for scrap. Thieves are robbing folks metal-bare and El-Amin says HB 2543 is the cure. It “modifies and strengthens the existing law relating to scrap metal transactions.”

The bill also makes it a Class C misdemeanor for the first offense, and Class B for the second violation.

The bill calls for the establishment of a registry by collectors/dealers in junk or scrap metal that collects the name and address, place of business and driver’s license of the seller, full description of each purchase, including weight quantity. In addition to copper wire or cable, the proposed legislation adds any form of copper or copper alloy as scrap, refuse, recyclable waste, or surplus building materials to be maintained in a registry. It also requires that the seller’s license plate number of the vehicle in which materials are delivered is annotated; the bill further includes the registration of surplus building materials.

El-Aim says he’s been inundated with calls about citizens who’ve been robbed for their metals. According to the release, fixing what was stolen often costs as much as 25 times the value of what those bandits stole.

As in the anti-auto theft device popularized in the early 1990s as a lo-tech way of keep aspiring car thieves in check.

City Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Joseph Mokwa have joined forces to fight crime through Club-mongering, supplying The Club to the public for only $11. (The Club retails at $40.)

While not as ripe for parody its competitors “Protected by Viper, Stand Back!” ads, the Club remains a staple of anti-auto theft devices.

Concerned citizens can plunk down their duckets for the device at the State Fee Office in City Hall. There are also license plate covers available for the low, low price of $5 a pair.

Pictured here are (from L-R): Gregory F.X. Daly, Collector of Revenue; Crystal Payton, Chip Oddo and Paula Moore of Progressive Insurance Co.; and Chief of Police Joseph Mokwa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1N8AGoPszQ

Mayor Francis Slay, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, and 11 city aldermen from north and south St. Louis appeared before the House committee which heard testimony regarding House Bill 2117. Even some local activists who are working to remove Slay from office called a truce for the day and even praised Slay for his testimony in support of the legislation.

Here’s video from the press conference before the hearing. Check back later for more videos throughout the day.

St. Louis Leaders Call for Local Control of Police from pubdef on Vimeo.

Mayor Francis Slay, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, Comptroller Darlene Green, and as many as 11 of the city’s 28 aldermen are expected to drive to Jefferson City this morning to speak at the 2:00 hearing on House Bill 2117.

The bill, sponsored by State Representative T.D. El-Amin (D-St. Louis), will be heard before the House Special Committee on Urban Issues, which is chaired by another St. Louis representative, Rodney Hubbard*, who is also a bill co-sponsor.

The hearing will begin at 2:00 in House Hearing Room 5. A hearing was scheduled for last week, but was cancelled due to the snow storm.

PubDef.net will have cameras at the event. Check back later for video.

* Editor’s Note: Hubbard is a client of A D French & Associates

The weather in Jefferson City is sunny and nice, but several of inches of snow have already fallen on St. Louis and more is expected, keeping many aldermen and the mayor from trekking the Capitol to testify.

State Rep. T.D. El-Amin, who’s sponsoring House Bill 2117, says the hearing will be rescheduled soon.

A House Judiciary Committee subcommittee announced the agreement with Ashcroft in Washington, D.C. today, the day before the committee was to consider authorizing its chairman to issue him a subpoena.

From the AP:

The former attorney general is considered a key witness in the inquiry into lucrative federal monitoring contracts awarded by federal prosecutors to hand-picked monitors to oversee deferred prosecutions…

[Christopher Christie, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey] appointed Ashcroft in September as monitor for Zimmer Holdings Inc., of Warsaw, Ind., one of five makers of replacement hips and knees that agreed to pay $310 million and accept federal monitors to settle concerns over doctor kickbacks.

Ashcroft’s Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm, The Ashcroft Group LLC, stands to make from $27 million to $52 million over 18 months, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

LINK: Ashcroft to Testify on Monitor Contracts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0P0oH34_GI

“Let me put it in a context that you might understand,” Gerald Thornton told the reporter. “My brother went to war tonight with the people that were of the government that was putting torment and strife into his life.”