John Brunner today released the following statement condemning the failure of Missouri's top law enforcement official Chris Koster to provide decisive leadership on the issue of crime in Missouri's largest metropolitan area:
“The silence from Chris Koster on the issue of violent crime in St. Louis is deafening, and Missourians can’t afford to stand by idly while he decides if it’s in his political interest to do anything about it. In eight years as serving as Missouri's Chief Law Enforcement official Koster has continually failed to secure the safety of our citizens and get the most violent members of society off of our streets.
“Koster’s failures are unacceptable and a direct violation of Section 2 of the Bill of Rights of the Missouri Constitution, which states: That all constitutional government is intended to promote the general welfare of the people; that all persons have a natural right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and the enjoyment of the gains of their own industry; that all persons are created equal and are entitled to equal rights and opportunity under the law; that to give security to these things is the principal office of government, and that when government does not confer this security, it fails in its chief design.
"This not just a 'St. Louis' issue Koster can disregard like he did the Ferguson unrest. St. Louis is an economic engine of our state, and Missouri's economy is at risk when our urban cores are not thriving. Crime rates rise when our citizens no longer have any hope of a promising future, and are trapped in a cycle of poverty and unemployment. Our state needs strong, accountable, decisive leadership now and as governor I will enact sweeping reforms to increase economic opportunity throughout Missouri. We need to create opportunity and hope through access to new, well-paying jobs. Finally, we need education reform in our failing districts and direct resources to our greatest investment - our children. Our state government has a basic core mission and responsibility to keep our streets, our homes, our neighborhoods, and our families safe and secure. Career politicians like Governor Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster have failed in that mission and responsibility."
According to recently released FBI data from January - June 2015, St. Louis is worst in the United States for rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and murder statistics.
Sources:
https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2015/preliminary-semiannual-uniform-crime-report-januaryjune-2015/tables/table-4/table-4-state-pieces/table_4_january_to_june_2015_offenses_reported_to_law_enforcement_by_state_illinois_through_missouri.xls
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3437350/St-Louis-takes-number-one-spot-FBI-s-violent-cities-state.html#ixzz3zgSMz7rQ
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