ST. LOUIS – Two organizations in the St. Louis region have joined forces with the goal to lower homicide rates.
Greater St. Louis, Inc. and the Regional Business Council released a report Friday called “The Need for a Regional Strategy to Reduce Homicides.” The new 32-page report suggests that violent crime affects everyone in the region.
“Where we see those numbers at an unacceptably level is around homicides,” said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “What we also found out, if you can bring homicides down, other crimes tend to go down with it.”
The organizations called on regional officials to come together to develop a regional strategy to reduce crime. The effort comes at a time when regional leaders plan to convene in St. Louis for a regional crime summit next week.
“The business community came out today in a unified front saying we have got to tackle crime I the region,” said Hall. “Specifically, we are calling on our public officials to focus on homicides. That is where we are at a crisis level.”
Among the report’s key findings…
- The 15-county bi-state St. Louis metro has a homicide crisis. The rate in the St. Louis metropolitan area was more than double the U.S. metro average in 2020
- Stopping homicide must be the metro’s top priority
- Follow the guidance of experts and say the crisis is solvable
Hall says that violent crime is a leading barrier to growth in the St. Louis region, levaing behind not only a human toll, but also an economic one.
“This is a solvable problem, and it’s going to require us coming together,” said Hall. “We have to recognize this is not a city issue or county issue, it is a regional challenge. Criminals and criminal behavior do not know or respect boundaries. We are in this together.”
For the full report, click here.
