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That Drone Guy Claps Back at St. Louis Critics

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St. Louis aldermen are moving forward with a plan to curb police surveillance of citizens — or at least make that surveillance more transparent. But the man who claims to be surveilling parts of the city for profit wants aldermen to know that he’s not a fan. 

Joe “Jomo” Johnson, who describes himself as a “future resident of the third ward” but is known locally mostly as that drone guy who wants to use your comings and goings as a more expensive Netflix, spoke against police surveillance reforms at a Board of Aldermen committee meeting last Thursday. 

Johnson’s company, SMS Novel, markets itself as specializing in interactive Christian films. Recently, it announced its goal of making “Live Stream Drone TV” to fight crime. The company says its goal for 2024 is to train 10,000 pilots to fly drones over major cities (including St. Louis) to combat crime and allow paid subscribers to watch their neighborhoods in real time. 

The February 29 committee meeting was focused on discussing Board Bill 185, a police surveillance bill introduced by Ward 14 Alderman Rasheen Aldridge and co-sponsored by Ward 7 Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier. It would put in place regulations governing the use of surveillance technology in the city and would require the tools and their uses be approved by the board prior to implementation.

Johnson (despite typically being elusive on this topic) used this meeting to clap back at those who have spoken out against his plan to surveil the city. 

Johnson’s comments at this Public Safety Committee Meeting on February 29 came just one day before Board Bill 199, which has the potential to put his company out of business in St. Louis, was sent for perfection before the full Board of Aldermen.

Board Bill 199 contains a clause that could shut down SMS Novel’s surveillance program.

It says: “No person, entity, or state agency shall use a drone to conduct surveillance or observation of any individual or privately owned property held by an individual without the express written consent of that individual or property owner.” 

Johnson, alongside St. Louis Metropolitan Police Commissioner Robert Tracy, spoke in opposition to the bill. Tracy and Johnson were in the minority of public speakers, who otherwise overwhelmingly supported Bill 185 and previously showed up to support Bill 199.

“As someone who has frequented St. Louis much and also as a future resident, I stand in opposition to bill 185,” Johnson said. “Recognizing that police are understaffed, under-resourced, I believe that any more form of bureaucracy that would prevent the high rates of homicide, crime, and property theft in St. Louis would actually be detrimental to the health and safety of the most vulnerable citizens.” 

He went on to say that African American residents of the city are more vulnerable to crime.

After briefly speaking in opposition to the police surveillance bill, Johnson used the remainder of his three minutes to clap back at the board and at vocal advocates who have spoken against his surveillance plan.

Calling himself “incensed,” Johnson claimed there was hypocrisy among the board. He called out Alderwoman Sonnier (and mispronounced her name). He said he specifically wanted to address statements she made to the news “stating that a drone company started by an African American business owner was exploitative and caused fear mongering.”

“I think if we want to hear Black voices, we shouldn’t demonize Black voices that try to create solutions for crime in St. Louis and other cities,” Johnson said. 

He also called out a community member that he accused of calling his drone plan a “scheme.”

“I feel that is completely disrespectful,” Johnson said. “As someone who had his mother shot publicly in the community, I am someone who was affected by crime personally.”

“He doesn’t even live here!” community members shouted at the Zoom screen after Johnson finished speaking.

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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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