By Antonio D. French
Filed Friday, September 21, 2007 at 2:25 PM
Labels: Board_of_Aldermen, Crime, Freeman_Bosley_Sr
Crime may have shot up 20% last year, at least $40,000 in cash may have disappeared from the police vault, the number of rapes may have been systematically underreported, the Police Officers Association may be about to state they have "no confidence" in his leadership, he may have officers who steal and resale baseball tickets, and rookie cops may be killed after being left to patrol the roughest parts of town on their own, but the aldermen of the City of St. Louis still have total confidence in Police Chief Joe Mokwa.
The Board unanimously passed a resolution at their morning meeting today stating their support for Mokwa. Leading the way was the alderman from one of the most crime-ridden parts of the city, Freeman Bosley, Sr. (3rd Ward).
From Political Fix:Sure, the police officers want more money, Bosley said, but so do we all. The police motto is to protect and serve and sometimes, Bosley remarked in his raspy voice, that means doing some service for free.
Not even aldermen who in the past have publicly challenged Mokwa to do more to address crime in north St. Louis voted against the resolution today.
Bosley also did not blame Mokwa or the department for crime — “Whenever we’ve called for help, you’ve been there.”
Besides, Bosley said, crime has been around since biblical times.
“Cain slew Abel,” Bosley reminded the chamber.
“Whenever you have more than three people, there is going to be crime,” Bosley said.
By the way, no such resolution has been introduced to show support for Fire Chief Sherman George, whose department, in comparison, is squeaky clean. And if it were, it would not likely pass unanimously.
For all you visitors, welcome to Crazy Town.
