St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones discusses state control of SLMPD, Rams settlement money, and more

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones stopped by KMOX studios and joined Chris Rongey and Amy Marxkors on 'The Chris and Amy Show' Wednesday to discusses various topics.

Among the various topics Jones discussed include Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe efforts to have the state reclaim control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, recently released data of the city's crime reductions, Rams settlement money, snowstorm response and more.

(Editor's Note: This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity)

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has made it no secret on his support for a state takeover of the St. Louis Police Department, telling lawmakers during his first State of the State address that crime in the city is “unacceptable.”

Mayor Tishaura Jones pushed back on Kehoe and reminded Kehoe who hired current St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Tracy

"I want to remind (Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe) on who hired the police chief: I did. I want to know who the current status quo is," said Mayor Jones. "A 42% reduction in homicides, 24% reduction in overall violent crime, billions of dollars of investment in our city over last four year and into the foreseeable future is not status quo."

"No one who is sponsoring this bill can tell us how this going to make St. Louis safer, how it's going to increase our population, how it's going to encourage increased investment in St. Louis. All of those things are happening on the local level and all I did."

"No one can tell me how this makes our citizens safer."

Last week, Mayor Jones, along with Greater St. Louis Inc. and St. Louis Alderpeople Alisha Sonnier and Pam Boyd, announced an agreement that would invest funds from the Rams settlement into disinvested neighborhoods and Downtown.

As part of the agreement, Downtown St. Louis will get $74 million, with $30 million being dedicated to use for things such as mobility infrastructure projects located downtown and $11 million dedicated towards the Railway Exchange Building.

Meanwhile, $40 million of it will be dedicated to North City, with the money aimed at infrastructure improvements and redevelopment of vacant property.

Another $40 million will be used for citywide water infrastructure work while about $90 million will be prioritized towards projects in struggling neighborhoods in North City and Southeast City decided to streets, development and housing citywide.

"I appreciate the bill sponsors Alisha Sonnier and Pam Boyd for getting together and coming to a compromise, and also working with Greater St. Louis Inc. getting these proposals together," said Mayor Jones. "I believe with this windfall of money, everybody should get a little of something, and that is what the current proposal that is being debated right now is."

St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) began the start of this past school year with a bus crisis, after the Missouri Central Bus Company ended its contract with St. Louis Public Schools on June 30th, leaving the district desperate to look for a solution.

Weeks before the school year began, SLPS transportation staff announced an emergency transportation plan that notably includes students using taxis, rideshares and giving students metro bus passes.

"It is an issue for a lot of parents and I feel those parents frustrations and pain," said Mayor Jones. "We have extended an olive branch to SLPS. Sometimes they accept it and sometimes they don't, but we stand ready to help whenever we're asked to.

Crime is down according to recent released data from St. Louis public officials, with homicides and overall crime are down in the City of St. Louis, with the city seeing its lowest numbers of homicides in 11 years.

However, there has been some skeptics about the crime data. Mayor Jones acknowledges that 'it takes time for perception to catch up with reality.'

"The reality is St. Louis is a lot safer than it was four years ago when I first became mayor," said Mayor Jones. "If St. Louis was so bad, then why are we constantly attracting businesses and businesses downtown are renewing their lease to stay in the city and staying in downtown."

"We are addressing crime and St. Louis is a lot safer. We're back to pre-pandemic levels in crime, in fact to lower than 2013."

St. Louis Alderwoman Daniela Velazquez previously joined KMOX on Jan. 15 and has been pushing for creation, addition of city administrator/ city manager position.

However, Mayor Jones is not in favor of the particular bill sponsored by Velazquez.

"The City of St. Louis is currently set up has nine citywide elected officials, including six county and three municipal," said Jones. "In a typical city management structure or city manager structure, that city manager is over finance and personnel."

"We have an independently elected comptroller and treasurer and independently appointed director of personnel that is held to standards by the civil service commission. Unless the city manager is going to have control over those functions, which are primary to getting things done, and in addition to the other functions, this city manager is just another level of bureaucracy that is going to keep people from getting services that they need."

Mayor Jones discussed the city's response to the recent snowstorm and admits how the city has handled it wasn't great

"I want to set the stage here and let your listeners know that I am sorry for what they have experienced with this last storm," said Mayor Jones. "We didn't pivot fast enough, we didn't ask for help fast enough and now things are being addressed."

"We have had a trash blitz going on for the last several days with help from other city departments to pick up almost over 400 tons of trash and we've had smaller trucks from other city departments and contractors helping removing the ice and snow."

Mayor Jones discussed the issue of many neighborhoods in City of St. Louis still seeing icy streets and says 'it is more difficult to address' removing ice.

"You have to have chemicals and it has to be warm enough for it to work," said Mayor Jones. "We had single digit temperatures, so no chemicals are going to work when we have single digit temperatures. First we had snow, then it turned to ice and that becomes more difficult to treat."