Greater St. Louis, Inc. today applauded the call by St. Louis City Comptroller Darlene Green for new steps to address public safety in St. Louis.
“Strengthening public safety in St. Louis is a critical issue for the entire metro’s economic competitiveness,” said GSL CEO Jason Hall. “Comptroller Green has raised the need to take new steps to address public safety in St. Louis, including compensation disparities and creative incentives to attract new public safety employees. We applaud her for bringing specific ideas forward to ensure this issue remains front and center.”
Comptroller Green’s fellow member of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment Aldermanic President Joe Vollmer put the issue in direct terms during Wednesday’s Board meeting, “This is definitely our No. 1 problem to tackle in the city.”
Additionally, other business leadership organizations, including the South Grand Community Improvement District, have called upon the City to take action on public safety.
Call for Investment in Public Safety
Greater St. Louis, Inc. and Downtown business and community leaders recently held a press conference to call upon the City to make a major investment in public safety and infrastructure Downtown.
In the press conference, Greater St. Louis, Inc., emphasized the need for infrastructure investments such as installing additional cameras throughout Downtown linked to the City’s real-time crime center, finishing a Downtown-wide upgrade to street lighting, implementing traffic-calming measures on key thoroughfares, and making other critical upgrades throughout the neighborhood.
“We recently called upon the City to make a transformative investment in safety and infrastructure Downtown that will attract investment, jobs, and new residents so that we emerge from the pandemic stronger,” added Hall. “Our work with Mayor Jones through the Downtown Engagement & Public Safety Initiative continues to make a significant difference. We urge City leaders to stand with Comptroller Green and take the next step by finding new and creative ways to enhance public safety and infrastructure in St. Louis.”