Police Accountability
-
‘Defund the police’ aimed to provoke response; it worked in Missouri
For years after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, activists and community leaders have pushed to “re-envision public safety.” Inspired in…
Read More » -
Speakers at budget hearing overwhelmingly favor defunding police
CITY HALL – If the sentiment expressed at a public hearing on the proposed 2021-2022 St. Louis budget matches public…
Read More » -
Aldermen set to debate surveillance accountability bill
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is one of about a dozen departments nationwide that have a “real time crime…
Read More » -
Fewer 2020 traffic stops in Missouri, but racial disparity remains
(AP) — Traffic stops and arrests resulting from those stops declined sharply in Missouri last year due in large part…
Read More » -
Hundreds gather to dedicate prayer wall at historic Tulsa church
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Hundreds gathered Monday for an interfaith service dedicating a prayer wall outside historic Vernon African Methodist…
Read More » -
Tulsa pastors honor ‘holy ground’ 100 years after massacre
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — When white attackers destroyed the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood, Okla., 100 years ago this week,…
Read More » -
COVID-19 is lasting concern inside Missouri prisons
More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Missouri Department of Corrections has implemented mitigation efforts and begun administering…
Read More » -
Rallies, moments of silence honor George Floyd a year later
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A family-friendly street festival, musical performances and moments of silence were held Tuesday to honor George Floyd and mark…
Read More » -
JACO INTERVIEW: County prosecutor is encouraged by new right to review old cases
ST. LOUIS COUNTY – Prosecutors usually try to prove the guilt of someone who has been charged, but the flip…
Read More » -
ACLU tracks civil liberties bills from 2021 Missouri Legislature
JEFFERSON CITY – About a half-dozen bills passed by Missouri legislators in the recent session are winning praise from the American…
Read More » -
NYC Pride parade bans police; gay officers ‘disheartened’
NEW YORK (AP) — Organizers of New York City’s Pride events said Saturday that they were banning police officers and…
Read More » -
Republicans hope to counter calls to ‘defund the police’
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri Republicans have pushed through a bill that would penalize cities that cut police budgets and bolster protections for officers under…
Read More » -
Missouri passes bill to limit police use of chokeholds
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) — Missouri’s Legislature passed on Thursday a wide-ranging bill that would, among other things, limit when police…
Read More » -
Missouri lawmakers close to approving bill targeting protesters who block traffic
A push to crack down on protesters who block roads, to penalize cities that cut police budgets and to bolster…
Read More » -
Corrections commissioner quitting as of May 31
CITY HALL – Under pressure from Mayor Tishaura Jones about conditions at the City Justice Center and the Workhouse, City…
Read More » -
Judge awards area homeless man $150K in panhandling case
ST. LOUIS COUNTY (AP) — The county cannot enforce ordinances that target panhandlers and violate their free-speech rights, a federal…
Read More » -
Parson vows to veto crime bill if it has penalties for lying
JEFFERSON CITY – The fate of a wide-ranging crime bill was called into question on Tuesday over a provision that…
Read More » -
With civil rights charges, Justice Dept. signals priorities
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is sending a strong message about its priorities these days. In just over the…
Read More » -
KC commemorative police coin criticized for offensive design
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A commemorative coin that was designed to honor the Kansas City Police Department’s vice unit…
Read More » -
Police academies spend only 3.21% of training on ethics, public service
Police academies provide little training in the kinds of skills necessary to meet officers’ growing public service role, according to…
Read More » -
Ferguson movement is on cusp of revolutionizing political power
April 6, election night in St. Louis, was a defining moment for the Ferguson movement. The race was close. Kayla…
Read More » -
Bipartisan coalition hopes to fund free tampons, pads in Missouri prisons
In Missouri, incarcerated women’s access to feminine hygiene products depends on where they’re housed. Some are forced to pay to…
Read More » -
‘The fight has to change’: Why Ferguson activists ditched police reform
Ten days after Michael Brown, it was 25-year-old Kajieme Powell. Two months later, it was 18-year-old VonDerrit Myers Jr. All…
Read More » -
`Black America’s attorney general’ seems to be everywhere
Ben Crump, the Rev. Al Sharpton says, is “Black America’s attorney general.” In less than a decade, Crump, a lawyer…
Read More » -
Police ‘Muni-Shuffle’ lets wandering officers continue misdeeds
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Timothy Loehmann wanted to be a police officer like his father. He got a job in…
Read More » -
Jones’ first executive order aims to hold police accountable, address jail complaints
CITY HALL – Mayor Tishaura Jones signed on Wednesday her first executive order, clarifying how citizen complaints regarding police and…
Read More » -
Limits on St. Louis police aren’t permanent, appeals panel says
A judge’s 2017 ruling limiting how St. Louis police officers can control protesters was meant to be a temporary order…
Read More » -
Faith leaders hope Chauvin verdict lifts racial justice work
Faith leaders in Minnesota and across the United States expressed hope that their advocacy work for racial justice will gain…
Read More » -
Jones, Bush condemn conditions at city’s jails
NORTH RIVERFRONT – Less than a week after becoming mayor, Tishaura Jones led a congresswoman and other officials Saturday on…
Read More » -
Speakers at city budget hearing demand cuts in police budget
CITY HALL – Speaker after speaker at a two-hour teleconference hearing Friday on the proposed city budget favored cutting the…
Read More »