St. Louis, MO - St. Louis recorded one of the highest murder rates (per 100,000 residents) in America during 2019 and 2020. These murders include a St. Louis police captain who was killed during violent riots following the death of George Floyd.
During the decade from 2013 through 2022, St. Louis recorded 1,903 homicides. However, 1,068 of them have yet to be solved. These figures represent a solving homicide rate, more commonly known as a clearance rate, of 44% - also among the lowest in the nation.
In fact, St. Louis is not alone. They are currently ranked number one with 69.4 murders per 100,000 residents. But they are closely followed by Baltimore, MD (51.1) and New Orleans, LA (40.6).
But people across the country are not overly surprised about these figures. People like Michael Letts, LEO advocate, political expert, and CEO/Founder of nonprofit InVest USA, are not surprised by St. Louis’ homicide and clearance rate numbers.
Michael Letts feels these alarming numbers are directly correlated with the anti-police climate in the country.
“St. Louis is a typical illustration of what’s going on in America. When you have a drastic cut in law enforcement caused by mainstream media putting them in a negative light, lack of funding because of ‘defund the police’, black lives matter, and creating an image and a perception that law enforcement is a bad place to be employed, two things happen. Your veteran [officers] leave in droves, those are the ones who solve crimes,” Letts told Law Enforcement Today.
Everyone within the law enforcement community already knows that senior officers are retiring at a much higher rate than historically done, fewer people are interested in becoming police officers, and many current officers are outright quitting. Many of those same officers may have had a brilliant career in a better police climate.
Because of it, the talent pool is shrinking.
Letts added, “Plus, because with the numbers of officers having drastically decreased, they're forcing anybody that's left in the office that has credentials, get out from behind the desk and get on the street.”
He continued, “You’re losing your veterans [officers]. You’re not getting people to replace them. If and when you’re lucky enough to hire some new cops, those are street cops. So it’s going to take a while to be able to replace the detective you pulled off the street.”
This drastic shortage is confirmed by the current vacancies in the St. Louis Metro Police Department. They are budgeted for 1,220 police officers but have 300 vacancies – a 25% shortage!
To put the dire situation in St. Louis in another perspective, they had over 1,600 officers in 1998.
And there is a strong belief among critics of Democrat-run cities that liberal politics directly contributed to the shortages.
“St. Louis politicians, like many other Democrat-run cities, have advocated and instituted measures to defund the police. In 2021, St. Louis redirected $4 million from the police overtime budget to hire more social workers to respond to calls,” Letts said.
“You're going to have some real issues with solving cases - solving crimes for decades to come because of what this country has been through in the last decade with defund the police, Antifa, and liberal politicians making policy that they have no business doing,” he added.
So if people want crimes solved, they need to support the police, make people want to wear the badge again, and let them do their job.
To learn more about Letts, go to michaelletts.us and to learn more about his nonprofit organization InVestUSA, which provides free vests to first responders, visit investusa.org.
Read the full history of InVestUSA with Michael Letts HERE.
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Writer Eddie Molina is a veteran and has over 25 years of combined LEO/military service. He owns and operates the LEO apparel and accessory company www.BuyHeroStuff.com
During the decade from 2013 through 2022, St. Louis recorded 1,903 homicides. However, 1,068 of them have yet to be solved. These figures represent a solving homicide rate, more commonly known as a clearance rate, of 44% - also among the lowest in the nation.
In fact, St. Louis is not alone. They are currently ranked number one with 69.4 murders per 100,000 residents. But they are closely followed by Baltimore, MD (51.1) and New Orleans, LA (40.6).
But people across the country are not overly surprised about these figures. People like Michael Letts, LEO advocate, political expert, and CEO/Founder of nonprofit InVest USA, are not surprised by St. Louis’ homicide and clearance rate numbers.
Michael Letts feels these alarming numbers are directly correlated with the anti-police climate in the country.
“St. Louis is a typical illustration of what’s going on in America. When you have a drastic cut in law enforcement caused by mainstream media putting them in a negative light, lack of funding because of ‘defund the police’, black lives matter, and creating an image and a perception that law enforcement is a bad place to be employed, two things happen. Your veteran [officers] leave in droves, those are the ones who solve crimes,” Letts told Law Enforcement Today.
Everyone within the law enforcement community already knows that senior officers are retiring at a much higher rate than historically done, fewer people are interested in becoming police officers, and many current officers are outright quitting. Many of those same officers may have had a brilliant career in a better police climate.
Because of it, the talent pool is shrinking.
Letts added, “Plus, because with the numbers of officers having drastically decreased, they're forcing anybody that's left in the office that has credentials, get out from behind the desk and get on the street.”
He continued, “You’re losing your veterans [officers]. You’re not getting people to replace them. If and when you’re lucky enough to hire some new cops, those are street cops. So it’s going to take a while to be able to replace the detective you pulled off the street.”
This drastic shortage is confirmed by the current vacancies in the St. Louis Metro Police Department. They are budgeted for 1,220 police officers but have 300 vacancies – a 25% shortage!
To put the dire situation in St. Louis in another perspective, they had over 1,600 officers in 1998.
And there is a strong belief among critics of Democrat-run cities that liberal politics directly contributed to the shortages.
“St. Louis politicians, like many other Democrat-run cities, have advocated and instituted measures to defund the police. In 2021, St. Louis redirected $4 million from the police overtime budget to hire more social workers to respond to calls,” Letts said.
“You're going to have some real issues with solving cases - solving crimes for decades to come because of what this country has been through in the last decade with defund the police, Antifa, and liberal politicians making policy that they have no business doing,” he added.
So if people want crimes solved, they need to support the police, make people want to wear the badge again, and let them do their job.
To learn more about Letts, go to michaelletts.us and to learn more about his nonprofit organization InVestUSA, which provides free vests to first responders, visit investusa.org.
Read the full history of InVestUSA with Michael Letts HERE.
-------------------
Writer Eddie Molina is a veteran and has over 25 years of combined LEO/military service. He owns and operates the LEO apparel and accessory company www.BuyHeroStuff.com
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