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Fox & Friends Invades St. Louis — And Mayor Jones’ Office Is Pushing Back | St. Louis

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click to enlarge Screenshot from Fox & Friends Broadcast Fox & Friends host Lawrence Jones came to St. Louis to broadcast an inaccurate story inflating St. Louis crime.
A spokesman for Mayor Tishaura Jones is clapping back at Fox & Friends after the cable news show broadcast two hit pieces on St. Louis — pieces relying on a disgraced former police detective as well as a state senator who lives a full hour outside the city.
“We saw the Fox & Friends segments regarding St. Louis crime and noticed that you may be lacking some essential facts regarding crime and safety in the City of St. Louis,” writes Director of Communications Conner Kerrigan, proceeding to outline some of the missing information — including the fact that crime was down dramatically in St. Louis last year.
In a tactless move, Fox & Friends aired its hit pieces about the city on the same day as the Kansas City mass shooting.
Fox & Friends Host Lawrence Jones personally visited St. Louis and produced two segments — one that claims violence is “soaring” in the city (it’s not) and another that blames “defund the police” rhetoric for crime (the police have not been defunded).
The show also described Cori Bush as being “one of the newest members of the squad” and, despite the fact she has nothing to do with municipal governance, suggested that she is responsible for St. Louis crime.
“In every city I go to I keep hearing about people wanting to defund the police,” Jones said. “I keep trying to find the people who want to defund the police and I can’t find any of these people because they’ve been impacted by the crime in their city.”
“We know who wants to defund the police, Cori Bush,” co-host Brian Kilmeade responded.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is far from being defunded. In fact, last year Mayor Jones signed off on a deal giving officers the biggest raise they’ve had in 20 years, as Kerrigan points out in his letter. He also writes that Jones is also trying to assist the department in filling its “budgeted strength” of 1,223 officers, which would make it one of the largest police departments in the nation per capita.
“The City has multiple police academy classes in training right now, and 14 officers have returned to the department from other municipalities,” Kerrigan writes.
The department is currently down 330 officers and has 27 recruits, according to Kerrigan. He notes that departments nationwide are short officers and this issue isn’t one unique to St. Louis.
Jones’ two segments also showcased interviews with state Senator Nick Schroer (yes, the dueling guy who lives in a basement in St. Charles County), as well as, shockingly, disgraced retired detective Roger Murphey. Murphey was previously featured in an RFT/ProPublica story for refusing to testify at murder trials, even if it meant suspects walked free.
He also included a heartbreaking interview with a local mother who first lost her 19-year-old son to gun violence and months later her nephew, Preston Jones, who was shot in his sleep.
Yet despite the show’s claims that violence is rampant in St. Louis, statistics show that crime is decreasing.
Crime data shows that homicides dropped 21 percent in 2023, shooting incidents fell 24 percent, and there was a 22 percent drop in the category of violent crimes that includes murder, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, felony theft and auto theft, according to departmental records.
Representatives in the mayor’s office believe Fox News is possibly being used by Schroer, who has been a vocal advocate in the legislature for removing control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department from the city and giving authority to the state.
Currently Kansas City is the only Missouri city whose police department is under state control. The city saw its crime rates rise last year, contrary to national trends.
Kerrigan says Fox News has not responded to his letter providing additional context.
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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

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A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword.
Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate.
The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault.
The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade.
This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.
As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.
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Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

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Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection.
“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”
He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”
The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”
Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”
The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.
Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”
In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery.
“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.”
Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”
Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings.
“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.
Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)
One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said.
Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.
“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”
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St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

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The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.
The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release.
The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.
The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.
To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/
“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”
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