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Florissant Oks New Laws To Curb Crime; Residents Still Voice Concerns
BY CAROL ARNETT
Florissant Mayor Robert Lowery asked the city council to pass two new ordinances aimed at preventing crime in the city at the council’s meeting this Monday. One ordinance would prohibit loitering in the city and the other would change the hours of curfew for minors under the age of 17.
Under the new ordinance, no one under the age of 17 should be on or driving on any street, park, or unsupervised place after 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and after midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Both new ordinances were introduced as emergency bills and thus approved under such council provisions that allow introduction and approval the same night.
“This gives the city more tools,” said Councilwoman Karen McKay. Lowery said that laws such as these, and the participation of residents in reporting crimes, were the answer to a rise in crime in the city. Lowery said that crime was up everywhere (in the region) and said that the root causes must be addressed.
“You can have a police officer on every corner, and you’ll still have crime,” Lowery said. He noted that the city had been through high-crime periods before.
Resident Gary Hamby addressed the council. He said that his son had been assaulted at the JFK Center on Sunday night. His son was outside the building waiting for his father, who was in the building. One of several youths who was loitering in front of the building assaulted him and broke his jaw. Hamby said that employees of the JFK Center told him that there was nothing they could do about the youths loitering in the park.
“The city needs to take responsibility for crimes on city property,” Hamby said.
Resident Ray Donahue suggested that the city “start looking at smaller crime and that will eradicate larger ones.” He suggested that the police aggressively enforce laws like the noise ordinance.
Martin Kelly, who said he was speaking on behalf of the police, said the solution to the crime problem was citizen involvement. “The only solution is you and I,” he said.
In recent weeks, Mayor Lowery and Chief William Karabas have acknowledged an increase of crime in the city, which they say has mostly been committed by persons living outside the city. The mayor has announced that a four-man task force has been assigned to the most affected areas and “significant inroads have been made,” with arrested and confiscated contraband sized. Parks ranges are also assisting police with park surveillance.
