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ICYMI, @SLPOA rep + friends launched a failed attack against Mayor @Tishaura that included a rumor about SLMPD’s domestic violence unit being disbanded & disinformation about conditions inside City DOC facilities.
I’ll do my best to recap what we found in the public record:
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I’ll do my best to recap what we found in the public record:
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I bring the information collected in this 
to your attention as a survivor of domestic violence myself, because I think it’s important to know context + background, especially when it comes to St. Louis & SLMPD.
That said, TW: domestic violence, gaslighting, police
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to your attention as a survivor of domestic violence myself, because I think it’s important to know context + background, especially when it comes to St. Louis & SLMPD.That said, TW: domestic violence, gaslighting, police
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First, a horrible rumor surfaced last week, claiming that an insider alerted the Family Violence Council (FVC) that SLMPD’s Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) was being disbanded.
Despite the rumor being debunked by Mayor + @SLMPD, SLPOA reps continued to spread the rumor.
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Despite the rumor being debunked by Mayor + @SLMPD, SLPOA reps continued to spread the rumor.
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DART is a unit of SLMPD tasked with investigating domestic violence, order of protection violations, stalking, & so on.
DART’s work is informed by direct input from regional agencies that support survivors & these agencies also train DART officers.
https://www.slmpd.org/dart.shtml
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DART’s work is informed by direct input from regional agencies that support survivors & these agencies also train DART officers.
https://www.slmpd.org/dart.shtml
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I have been able to trace the origin of the rumor to a May 5 email sent by the Crime Victim Center (CVC; @supportvictims), a member of the FVC, stating that DART was being disbanded.
This email contained no documentation, nor any supporting statements by SLMPD.
See below
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This email contained no documentation, nor any supporting statements by SLMPD.
See below
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FVC is a coalition of service providers incl @BJC, @STLChildrens, @LSEM_EST1956 + others.
This network of survivors, caregivers+supporters was retraumatized+misled into believing that DART, a literal life-saving agency, was defunded by the Mayor.
https://fvcstl.wordpress.com/our-members/
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This network of survivors, caregivers+supporters was retraumatized+misled into believing that DART, a literal life-saving agency, was defunded by the Mayor.
https://fvcstl.wordpress.com/our-members/
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Right now, we do not know where CVC (a good & essential organization) got this bad information & I cannot speak to why the organization shared it then did not correct it after SLMPD spoke up.
What we DO know is this disinformation hurt survivors last week, period.
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What we DO know is this disinformation hurt survivors last week, period.
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. @supportvictims provides so many resources for survivors in St. Louis, incl counseling, legal aid, school & court support + more.
With the rise in DV since the pandemic, CVC has enough on its plate without being manipulated by SLPOA to advance a false narrative.
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With the rise in DV since the pandemic, CVC has enough on its plate without being manipulated by SLPOA to advance a false narrative.
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CVC’s email was quickly copied & circulated on FB+social media, incorrectly declaring that the City was disbanding DART.
You can see that the social media post is verbatim the CVC email:
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You can see that the social media post is verbatim the CVC email:
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The contents of the post were shared verbatim several times, including in neighborhood Facebook + NextDoor groups, many without linking to the original post and none providing detail on where the information came from.
Does this all feel familiar on the heels of Trumpism?
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Does this all feel familiar on the heels of Trumpism?
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City reps stepped in almost immediately to field questions & correct the false narrative being distributed by SLPOA+its agents.
Shoutout to @Tishaura’s team, @MeganEllyia, @BStingSTL, @Schweitzer88 + others for the quick response + clarifications.
https://twitter.com/saintlouismayor/status/1390063628909531136?s=20
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Shoutout to @Tishaura’s team, @MeganEllyia, @BStingSTL, @Schweitzer88 + others for the quick response + clarifications.
https://twitter.com/saintlouismayor/status/1390063628909531136?s=20
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@SLMPD even issued a statement, publicly affirming that DART is *not* being disbanded & rejecting the rumors as factually deficient.
https://twitter.com/SLMPD/status/1390061991348350977?s=20
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https://twitter.com/SLMPD/status/1390061991348350977?s=20
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Still don’t believe me that the email+subsequent posts were false rumors?
May 7 came and went, and gasp -- DART has not been disbanded.
*Rumor debunked*
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May 7 came and went, and gasp -- DART has not been disbanded.
*Rumor debunked*
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There was NO credible source for this information, just an un-sourced + debunked email & Facebook post.
We can easily cross-reference statements by the City, SLMPD, & the Mayor. Without much digging at all, we can conclude the claim as circulated is not rooted in fact.
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We can easily cross-reference statements by the City, SLMPD, & the Mayor. Without much digging at all, we can conclude the claim as circulated is not rooted in fact.
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Whoever gave @supportvictims this false info is NOT a friend to victims.
Making false statements for political points is hurtful to survivors & certainly calls into question the motive of the person(s) behind the rumor.
Retraumatizing survivors is unfathomably cruel.
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Making false statements for political points is hurtful to survivors & certainly calls into question the motive of the person(s) behind the rumor.
Retraumatizing survivors is unfathomably cruel.
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Even after the correction, a @SLPOA rep continued to spread the rumor, hurting victims further.
A POA rep believed to be Jeff Roorda’s fiduciary in CBA negotiations doubled down on the rumor & insisted on its truth, despite proof of contrary:
https://twitter.com/ChelseaKMerta/status/1390077432313614352?s=20
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A POA rep believed to be Jeff Roorda’s fiduciary in CBA negotiations doubled down on the rumor & insisted on its truth, despite proof of contrary:
https://twitter.com/ChelseaKMerta/status/1390077432313614352?s=20
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[Learn more about the SLPOA/SLMPD collective bargaining agreement dynamic in further detail here, based on what we’ve been able to collect from news reporting + public records here:]
https://twitter.com/ChelseaKMerta/status/1387121649376501763?s=20
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https://twitter.com/ChelseaKMerta/status/1387121649376501763?s=20
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This is *also* the person who was retained as a lobbyist by Kingdom Principles in 2019, working to force Title IX reforms that would protect r*pists.
She remains an active lobbyist with Kingdom Principles (among others) as of today.
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/04/missouri-lobbyists-darkmoney-group-invokes-trump-2-change-title-ix/
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She remains an active lobbyist with Kingdom Principles (among others) as of today.
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/04/missouri-lobbyists-darkmoney-group-invokes-trump-2-change-title-ix/
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Here, the SLPOA rep is circulating a text form of the debunked rumor, not the original email, AND even after City statements had been released around 5pm.
By the time the POA rep posted the below, after 10pm on May 5, the City + SLMPD already debunked the rumor:
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By the time the POA rep posted the below, after 10pm on May 5, the City + SLMPD already debunked the rumor:
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Here, the SLPOA rep calls the SLMPD white shirts (officers with the rank of lieutenant & up) “liars.”
Remember, this is all happening during the CBA negotiations; POA currently operates w/o CBA so now SLMPD treated as Civil Service employees like most other City workers.
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Remember, this is all happening during the CBA negotiations; POA currently operates w/o CBA so now SLMPD treated as Civil Service employees like most other City workers.
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To date, SLPOA has not issued a statement acknowledging the now-debunked rumor that their *own reps* broadcasted. In true qonspiracy fashion, the POA rep even attached a deadline!
Everyone else corrected the record immediately.
Why would SLPOA remain silent on this?
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Everyone else corrected the record immediately.
Why would SLPOA remain silent on this?
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The DART rumor did not occur alone:
While the SLPOA rep spread disinfo to DV service providers, her frequent ally @ChristineDByers was busy publishing two pieces to refute @Tishaura’s+ @RepCori’s reports on the conditions at City DOC facilities.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/surveillance-video-elected-officials-tour-st-louis-jails/63-4d729c70-3ecb-416f-a1cf-73caee292131
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While the SLPOA rep spread disinfo to DV service providers, her frequent ally @ChristineDByers was busy publishing two pieces to refute @Tishaura’s+ @RepCori’s reports on the conditions at City DOC facilities.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/surveillance-video-elected-officials-tour-st-louis-jails/63-4d729c70-3ecb-416f-a1cf-73caee292131
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Byers & the SLPOA rep did recently appear together on Mark Reardon’s 5/6 show, & Byers regularly quotes her, Roorda, & POA in pieces for KSDK, STL Biz Journal, STLPR + others.
They have a long-standing partnership since Byers has covered police for most local media.
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They have a long-standing partnership since Byers has covered police for most local media.
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Byers' 1st article uses security footage of both tours to attempt to refute Mayor’s claims about conditions MSI + CJC.
Per Byers, clean hallways & common areas reflect humane living. Article noticeably omits the conditions of cells, primary source of detainees’ complaints.
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Per Byers, clean hallways & common areas reflect humane living. Article noticeably omits the conditions of cells, primary source of detainees’ complaints.
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Byers acknowledges that the surveillance videos don’t show conditions Mayor @tishaura + Congresswoman @coribush spoke to: the cells where detainees are held for the vast majority of their time (CJC is maximum-security facility; MSI is medium)
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Most reporters obtain surveillance footage via RSMo §610/Sunshine request, which can require anywhere from 2 wks to a month for research time for the administrator to locate records.
That assumes they have a cooperative govt body on the receiving side of their requests.
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That assumes they have a cooperative govt body on the receiving side of their requests.
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Footage for this article was produced for Byers faster than any sunshine request I’ve ever seen, published just 2 weeks after the tour.
Byers should share her secret sauce with @tonymess & @rlipmann. I’d certainly like to know!
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Byers should share her secret sauce with @tonymess & @rlipmann. I’d certainly like to know!
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The 2nd piece launched by Byers two days later sourced an “anonymous employee” speaking out about broken locks, personnel issues, + other CJC conditions (also noted by the Mayor).
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/investigations/downtown-st-louis-jail-conditions-corrections-employees/63-87dd1da7-4235-4a51-b6fe-b8a270bcd2e6
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https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/investigations/downtown-st-louis-jail-conditions-corrections-employees/63-87dd1da7-4235-4a51-b6fe-b8a270bcd2e6
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For an article that emphasizes the need for more than locks, Byers focuses on the locks. She notes DOC staffing issues, processing times at the CA’s office + a host of other problems, but she *really* likes talking about locks on cell doors.
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Byers should know the DOC maintenance situation, incl locks issue, is already well documented, especially since she wrote a near-identical piece in Feb 2020 detailing police frustration w/City DOC staff, as well as a host of other issues:
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/internal-memos-st-louis-justice-center-riots-problems/63-1b0be507-fe94-4710-a549-eb8430e79e95
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https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/internal-memos-st-louis-justice-center-riots-problems/63-1b0be507-fe94-4710-a549-eb8430e79e95
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Byers + KSDK are aware that conditions in DOC facilities are a *longstanding* issue. One employee claimed locks have been broken since 2002, during the Slay admin & loooong before the Jones Admin.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/investigations/downtown-st-louis-jail-conditions-corrections-employees/63-87dd1da7-4235-4a51-b6fe-b8a270bcd2e6
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https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/investigations/downtown-st-louis-jail-conditions-corrections-employees/63-87dd1da7-4235-4a51-b6fe-b8a270bcd2e6
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Fmr police chief Sam Dotson + others in Mayor Slay’s office advised the administration in a Oct 2011 report on city jail breakouts. Dotson also is critical of City DOC personnel.
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/report-lays-st-louis-jail-woes-on-leadership/article_6ca8a43a-c7fb-57f2-8f22-d02b3e8f0321.html
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https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/report-lays-st-louis-jail-woes-on-leadership/article_6ca8a43a-c7fb-57f2-8f22-d02b3e8f0321.html
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Mayor @lydakrewson was also well aware of the issues in DOC facilities. Her corrections task force acknowledged the broken locks and many other issues earlier this year:
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/corrections-task-force/documents/task-force-report.cfm
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https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/corrections-task-force/documents/task-force-report.cfm
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Mayor @tishaura herself spoke to this issue multiple times on the campaign trail and in office. Her Interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom affirmed his commitment in Byers’ article.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/investigations/downtown-st-louis-jail-conditions-corrections-employees/63-87dd1da7-4235-4a51-b6fe-b8a270bcd2e6
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https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/investigations/downtown-st-louis-jail-conditions-corrections-employees/63-87dd1da7-4235-4a51-b6fe-b8a270bcd2e6
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KSDK & Byers are also aware that #EAndA already appropriated $1.5 million for capital improvements in CJC *back in February.* @samclancy1 acknowledges improvements would take 10-12 weeks.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/justice-center-locks-st-louis-fix/63-4ff53e2e-4573-4a12-b505-472c337fd831
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https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/justice-center-locks-st-louis-fix/63-4ff53e2e-4573-4a12-b505-472c337fd831
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Sure, it’s not just locks. The Mayor’s FY22 budget also *increases* funding for CJC guards to manage transfer from the MSI.
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/budget/documents/upload/FY22-AOP-Public-Safety-BOA.pdf
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https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/budget/documents/upload/FY22-AOP-Public-Safety-BOA.pdf
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Byers’ pieces included easily disputable "facts," conflicting with publicly available documents & lacking reliable sources.
What we got was a selective presentation of incomplete, misleading info & narratives perfectly in line with POA talking points.
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What we got was a selective presentation of incomplete, misleading info & narratives perfectly in line with POA talking points.
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None of Byers’ intel was new information. Nothing novel was added to the discussion on #CloseTheWorkhouse.
@saintlouismayor’s team reaffirmed basic CJC improvements as a priority. Money was allocated by her predecessor + work ongoing. No cuts are being made to CJC guards.
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@saintlouismayor’s team reaffirmed basic CJC improvements as a priority. Money was allocated by her predecessor + work ongoing. No cuts are being made to CJC guards.
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So, the timing of the piece disputing the observations of Black detainees + City electeds then raises eyebrows.
Why boost a new “investigative” piece with old info now, if not to sow doubt about the Mayor's intentions + fearmonger about MSI’s closure?
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Why boost a new “investigative” piece with old info now, if not to sow doubt about the Mayor's intentions + fearmonger about MSI’s closure?
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tldr; we watched POA & co boost:
- debunked info re: DART cuts;
- claims that negate conditions in DOC as reported by Black detainees + City electeds;
- false narrative that City won’t make CJC improvements when City already allocated $$ + has declared as a priority
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- debunked info re: DART cuts;
- claims that negate conditions in DOC as reported by Black detainees + City electeds;
- false narrative that City won’t make CJC improvements when City already allocated $$ + has declared as a priority
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Oh, and don’t forget that while all of this is happening, SLPOA ally @LewisReedSTL announced the members of Ways & Means, the #STLBOA committee that will vote to approve E&A’s FY22 budget:
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Rumors spread by SLPOA to incite fear about the FY22 budget mid-CBA negotiations, along with 2 hit pieces distorting the Mayor’s intentions by a POA ally, are not coincidence.
That’s why we’ve submitted two sunshine requests to get to the bottom of this:
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That’s why we’ve submitted two sunshine requests to get to the bottom of this:
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First, we’ve requested communications between SLMPD & CVC personnel from 4/1/2021 to present:
If there was any communication from the Dept to CVC or FVC re: DART disbanding, that would be an open public record under RSMo §610.
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If there was any communication from the Dept to CVC or FVC re: DART disbanding, that would be an open public record under RSMo §610.
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Second, we’ve requested communications between DOC, KSDK, + SLPOA’s acting rep to CBA negotiations, also from 4/1 to present:
Here, we’re mostly curious about the flow of info; did KSDK or POA solicit DOC employees to comment?
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Here, we’re mostly curious about the flow of info; did KSDK or POA solicit DOC employees to comment?
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(This is your reminder that emails sent to/from official govt accounts are presumed *open public records* unless they fall w/in a narrow exception under RSMo. §610. This is what also makes Alds. 22 & 23 even more ridiculous for using their personal emails for govt business)
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The City has 3 days to respond to this request & I will supplement this thread with what we receive.
Here’s hoping the Mayor + Interim Public Safety Director Isom will disclose these open records more willingly than SLMPD sunshine coordinators historically do
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Here’s hoping the Mayor + Interim Public Safety Director Isom will disclose these open records more willingly than SLMPD sunshine coordinators historically do
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SLPOA seems to have some bad apples in charge. The two stories last week (false DART rumor + CJC tour) may demonstrate bad faith behavior by POA, positioned poorly on CBA negotiations since 4/2.
The public can't trust a fear-mongering law enforcement body/rumor mill.
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The public can't trust a fear-mongering law enforcement body/rumor mill.
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Last week's gaslighting hurt survivors, detainees+public trust. POA rep’s actions show that the org supports spreading rumors at the expense of survivors.
This is how POA has allowed its members to be represented. I’m not sure how the City can engage at this point.
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This is how POA has allowed its members to be represented. I’m not sure how the City can engage at this point.
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Finally, on a personal note:
I felt compelled to share this information as a government transparency advocate AND an abolitionist because I believe it is important that We the People be informed as possible as to the "behind the scenes" when it comes to policing in STL.
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I felt compelled to share this information as a government transparency advocate AND an abolitionist because I believe it is important that We the People be informed as possible as to the "behind the scenes" when it comes to policing in STL.
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A lot of this whisper campaign/dark money shadow network nonsense used to happen behind closed doors, but now it happens publicly on social media, out in the open.
Sometimes, it's truly just a matter of sitting down & connecting the dots that are already out there.
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Sometimes, it's truly just a matter of sitting down & connecting the dots that are already out there.
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