51黑料

鈥淐learly the progressive movement won last night,鈥� Jane Dueker, who represents the 51黑料 Police Officers Association, told members of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday. 鈥淪o we suspect that our fortunes are not going to get better in the city of 51黑料.鈥�

The union and the Ethical Society of Police, an association of African American officers, both have pushed for the state takeover legislation. While the House easily approved the measure last month, the full Senate has yet to debate the plan and it is unclear how much resistance it would face from Democratic lawmakers, some of whom defected in the House when the measure came up for a vote.

As he has done in previous testimony at the Capitol, 51黑料 police Chief Robert Tracy urged members of the Senate committee to give him time to make improvements, citing a drop in homicides since he took over in January and saying local control is a 鈥渉uge, immeasurable鈥� part of ensuring trust and accountability.

The police union and ESOP have clashed with the administration of Mayor Tishaura O. Jones over a variety of issues, including pay, and thrown their support behind state control legislation that would put the department under a five-member police commission. (Four members would be appointed by the governor. The mayor would be the fifth member.) The 51黑料 police was under state control from the beginning of the Civil War until 2012, when Missouri voters approved a return to local control.

On Tuesday, progressives 鈥� many aligned with Jones and Aldermanic President Megan Green 鈥� won most key races Tuesday, giving them a majority on the new 15-member body. Alderman Bret Narayan, for example, toppled Alderman Joe Vaccaro, a 14-year veteran who had frequently clashed with progressives on public-safety matters. Progressive Alderman Anne Schweitzer defeated police union-endorsed candidate Tony Kirchner. And, state Rep. Rasheen Aldridge beat real estate agent Ebony Washington, who promised to oppose diversion of money from police.

Dueker noted that one alderman-elect, Michael Browning in the new 9th Ward, pushed for taking guns from traffic police to reduce tension during stops. 鈥淣obody should lose their life over running a stop sign or a stoplight,鈥� Browning KSDK-TV (Channel 5) during the campaign.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of our new aldermen, so we have concerns,鈥� Dueker said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one person鈥檚 opinion,鈥� Tracy, the chief, said after Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, mentioned the alderman-elect. 鈥淚 would probably have to be in opposition of that.鈥�

Schroer then said Green campaigned for 鈥渄efund the police鈥� and Jones had tried to 鈥渄ivert millions鈥� from police.

鈥淯nder the current mechanisms, politics has been injected far too long into policing,鈥� Schroer said.

In response to concerns over political meddling, Tracy said Jones鈥� administration has expressed its 鈥渇ull support鈥� to him and said city leadership鈥檚 negotiation of a 鈥渉istoric labor agreement鈥� demonstrated 鈥渢he commitment to these law enforcement officers.鈥�

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to let me lead,鈥� Tracy said. 鈥淚 believe my ability to lead effectively depends on maintaining local control because it鈥檚 what I know.鈥�

Tracy said that after almost six years as the Wilmington, Delaware, police chief, murders fell 60% and nonfatal shootings decreased by half. He said overall crime dropped by nearly 40%.

鈥淲e鈥檙e off to a good start,鈥� Tracy said. 鈥淓ven after 10 weeks, you know, it鈥檚 still a short time, but at least the needle鈥檚 going in the right direction.鈥�

Asked about officer morale with regard to 51黑料 Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner, who has been criticized for not taking action on cases, Tracy said 鈥測eah, it does become an issue if officers feel that cases are not being prosecuted. It also leads to legal cynicism.鈥�

But, Tracy said he was 鈥渁political鈥� and said he 鈥渃an鈥檛 get caught up in all these other things.鈥� He said 鈥渢he public loses鈥� if he starts airing differences in the press and at hearings.

Nick Desideri, spokesman for Jones, later said the hearing showed the push for a state takeover wasn鈥檛 about public safety, but rather 鈥減ower, politics, and disenfranchising city voters.鈥�

The Senate committee didn鈥檛 vote on the legislation Wednesday. The panel approved similar legislation by Schroer in February, but the full Senate had not acted as of Wednesday.

The legislation is and .