Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed statement on public safety

Today, another family in the City of St. Louis woke up having to face the reality that they will have to plan a funeral for their child. As a father of four, words cannot express how heartbroken I am for them and the many others that have faced this similar reality.  

On behalf of my family and the entire City, I want to extend condolences to the family of Xavier Usanga and all of the other families that have lost loved ones to violence in our City. 

I also want to thank our first responders who are continuously having to work these traumatic scenes. I can only imagine the toll that this is taking, not only on the individual, but on their families as well. Thank you for working tirelessly to protect our City. 

Addressing the issues of public safety in our City must be our number one priority. It is fully within the City’s power to change these circumstances immediately. We have the tools to make effective changes - today. We do not have any more time to waste.

Today, I am taking the following steps to heal our City and work to address our issues of crime:  

• I will be submitting a letter to the Board of Estimate & Apportionment requesting funds be moved from the fiscal year 2019 budget surplus to fully fund Cure Violence and fund the acquisition of body cameras for our police department. 
• I will also be working with Congressman Lacy Clay to ensure our local voices are heard in Washington D.C. on H.R. 3435, the Local Public Health and Safety Protection Act, so that municipalities can control their own gun laws. 
• I am working with Everytown for Gun Safety and MOMS Demand Action for Gun Sense in America to spread awareness for better gun laws. 
• Finally. I am working to draft a local ordinance relating to gun purchases in our City.   

I am outraged that we are still holding on to the same old ways that no longer work to address the issues of crime in our City. We can no longer wait to make a change. We need to take immediate action.
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In 2007, Lewis E. Reed became President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and the first African-American elected to be President of the Board of Aldermen in the history of the Board. As President of the Board of Aldermen, he manages and leads the entire Board of Aldermen towards working for the residents and the future of the City of St. Louis. Learn more here.