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Key Takeaways
- Trained, unarmed, uniformed security officials will augment existing SLMPD patrols, create another layer of visible public safety on Downtown’s streets
- Will patrol Downtown on foot, bicycle, and marked vehicle
- GSL investors have committed more than $5 million to the program over 3 years
- “This program is long overdue and demonstrates the business community’s commitment to revitalizing Downtown St. Louis.”
ST. LOUIS – To strengthen public safety efforts Downtown, Greater St. Louis, Inc. announced today the launch of a new Downtown Public Safety Ambassadors program. The Downtown Public Safety Ambassadors are trained, unarmed, uniformed security officials that will provide another layer of visible public safety Downtown, enhancing the overall experience for residents, workers, and visitors to the neighborhood.
“For people who live or work Downtown, are visiting Union Station, or coming to see one of our sports teams or a concert, this increased public safety presence will make everybody feel more comfortable and safer,” said Bob O’Loughlin, Chairman and CEO of Lodging Hospitality Management – which owns Union Station – and a Greater St. Louis, Inc. investor. “This program is long overdue and demonstrates the business community’s commitment to revitalizing Downtown St. Louis.”
The Downtown Public Safety Ambassadors program is funded through the generous support of GSL investors, who have committed more than $5 million to fund the program over the next three years.
“While we know that the hard work and additional patrols of the SLMPD have helped reduce the rate of crime Downtown, we also know that increasing the public safety presence Downtown with the Ambassadors will add to the sense of security for everyone,” said Kurt Weigle, GSL’s Chief Downtown Officer. “We want to thank our investors, who have stepped up to fund this important program as part of our ongoing efforts to make Downtown safe, vibrant, and beautiful.”
Continues Momentum Downtown
The launch of the Ambassadors program continues the momentum being driven Downtown by the partnership between the business community, the City of St. Louis, and Downtown partners.
“The Downtown Public Safety Ambassador Program is another example of how public-private partnerships are making Downtown St. Louis more safe, vibrant, and beautiful,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “We want everyone to feel welcome while visiting the cultural hub of our region, and this program represents a strong visual reminder of that commitment.”
Recent positive developments Downtown include the announcement by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation that it has the vacant Millennium Hotel under contract, the St. Louis Development Corporation’s proposal to purchase or use the eminent domain process to bring the Railway Exchange Building under local control, and the Arch to Park Equity Fund’s announcement that it is under contract to purchase the Wainwright Building from the State of Missouri.
In addition, construction work on the 7th Street project connecting America’s Center with Ballpark Village is set to begin in the coming days.
“We just expanded our store Downtown because we can see firsthand the momentum here,” said Matt Ratz, Owner of UKRAFT Brunch Café, located at 7th and Market Streets. “There’s so much positive activity Downtown and this additional public safety program will really help take things to the next level.”
Adding a Second Layer of Public Safety Downtown
Cities large and small across the country have instituted programs like the Ambassadors as part of comprehensive public safety strategies. The Downtown Ambassador program will augment current patrols by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, working collaboratively with SLMPD to provide public safety services that free up police to perform more critical tasks.
“We’ve seen success in our work to reduce crime Downtown and across the City. We are trending in the right direction, but still have work to do,” said SLMPD Chief Robert Tracy. “The addition of public safety Ambassadors Downtown, working in collaboration with our officers and the local business community, will help in building on a positive experience for those who live, work and play downtown.”
Among the services the Ambassadors will provide:
- Addressing minor ordinance violations (reporting those to police, as necessary)
- Business checks
- Hospitality assistance
- Safe walks for pedestrians
- Medical first response
- Outreach to the unhoused
“Our office fully supports the mission of Greater St. Louis, Inc. and the important work it is doing in collaboration with SLMPD to reinforce our shared goals of making downtown safer for everyone who lives, works, and visits the neighborhood,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore.
Visible Public Safety Presence Downtown
The Ambassadors will wear uniforms that clearly indicate their role in public safety efforts, providing a visible security presence that will serve as a deterrent to unsafe behavior. Trained in de-escalation techniques, the Ambassadors will be unarmed but will carry basic safety and first aid equipment.
The Ambassadors will provide a core element of Downtown’s public safety network, working collaboratively with Downtown’s community improvement districts, the Downtown Neighborhood Association, and private security professionals. They will patrol the entirety of the Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods, excepting the grounds of the Gateway Arch National Park, which is covered by the U.S. Park Service, and the campuses of Ameren and Nestlé Purina, both of which have private security teams for their property.
Ambassadors will cover these areas on foot, bicycle, and in a marked vehicle and will be deployed from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. There will be at least 16 Ambassadors working each day, divided between two shifts, with personnel added for major events.
To promote accountability and inform future deployment, the Ambassadors will enter real-time data of their locations, including any calls for service, so that supervisors can adapt staffing to better suit the needs of the community.
GSL contracted Block By Block to oversee the Ambassadors program. The firm coordinated recruitment and hiring of the Ambassadors, their training and management, and the acquisition and provision of equipment and technology.
To request assistance from the Downtown Public Safety Ambassadors, people can call 314-978-2233.
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Images of the Downtown Public Safety Ambassador uniforms and marked vehicle are available here. For more information about the Ambassadors, visit DowntownSTL.org/safetyambassadors.
Media Contact: Tony Wyche | 314-398-9991 | Tony@GreaterSTLInc.com