ST. LOUIS – Jim Wild, the executive director of the East West Gateway Council of Governments, is answering criticism from St. Charles County’s top elected leader over a new regional anti-violence proposal. The plan will come to a vote at the East West Gateway this week.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and County Executive Sam Page have introduced the Regional Anti-Violence Collaborative, which is aiming to reduce violent crime, grow the economy, stabilize neighborhoods, and give residents access to more safe and affordable homes.

However, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann criticized the proposal for putting too much emphasis on social workers and outreach programs, as well as crime prevention and intervention, rather than hiring more police officers.

“I did a word search. I put in the phrase ‘more police,’ I put in phrases like, ‘hire more police.’ In every case, it came up no match,” he said. “There was no discussion in this entire report about the fact that the second part of the theory here, which is if they don’t go straight, they’re going to go to jail. We can’t put them in jail if we don’t have more police.”

Wild said the program was “never advertised” or sold as a police solution.

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“Well, this effort was never intended to control the hiring of police. What it does: it creates a common agenda, looks at shared measurements, mutually reinforces activities, and creates an avenue for regular communications between police in the region, as well as prevention and intervention organizations,” he said.

“This effort actually would help take some of the responsibility or some of the added burden off police by engaging prevention and intervention groups to help support addressing violent crime in the region,” he said.

Ehlmann believes this is akin to defunding the police and plans to oppose the collaborative.

“I’m not going to support it unless we can amend it,” he said. “I’ve got some amendments, which I think will refocus this, not just on the social workers but on the fact that we don’t have enough police on the street.”

The St. Charles County Executive’s other complaint is that the proposal names Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page as chairs of the anti-violence policy board.

“So what’s going to our board this month is not a final plan,” Wild said, stressing that this wouldn’t be a done deal. “What we’re presenting to them is the recommendations of the practicum that we had in December; that really sets out a blueprint for how we should proceed.”

Would Ehlmann have an issue with Jones or Page in that leadership role?

Violent 24 hours in St. Louis with multiple deadly shootings

“There’s nothing wrong with it, but why do I need to be there if they’re going to take it over and run with it? They could have done it from the beginning. It’s a little bit like putting the patient in charge of finding the cure,” he said. “I would like to be part of an effort to find a cure, but if the rest of the region is not going to be a part of this governing board, then I’m not sure if I’m not and the rest of the leaders aren’t just wasting their time going down there.”

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office sent a statement to FOX 2: “St. Louis has experienced a 40% drop in homicides in the City of St. Louis since 2021 under the leadership of Mayor Jones. Mayor Jones’ and Dr. Page’s leadership is important on this issue to bring down violent crime in the region.”

A spokesman for Sam Page’s office said, “Reducing crime is something everyone supports and we must work together to make a real difference. That’s why Dr. Page supports the Regional Anti-Violence Collaborative.”

The vote is scheduled for Wednesday. But Ehlmann remains concerned.

“I’m pleased to hear some of the people in the city no longer talking about defunding the police, but I’m afraid what they’re talking about now is distracting the police,” he said.

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