Has St. Louis Local News reached a point where it is too depressing to watch? To me, yes. You can see the decline in our local society daily. This region is in trouble. All of the meetings and lawsuits are not going to resolve this situation. It will take force, a big force, and consequences for those creating this environment.
ST. LOUIS, MO – July 1, 2026 (STL.News) All of the prayers in the world can’t appear to help the St. Louis Region as more people die while local leaders ignore the situation, thinking they can handle it.
Why is Governor Kehoe not injecting himself into the crime and violence situation in the St. Louis region? Bring in the National Guard, or call President Trump for help. Trump has publicly stated that he wanted to help save St. Louis. When local leaders have options that they are ignoring, is that politics or incompetence? The incompetence of past leaders is the reason we are at this crossroads.
St. Louis children and mothers are dying, and the community watches, hoping and praying for a solution while local leaders fight over who should be in control.
One lady who died was an innocent resident buying drinks for her kids. What are our leaders thinking? It is truly unbelievable and unimaginable that things can get this bad and go ignored. However, I personally had my car stolen approximately 5 years ago in Creve Coeur. They found my car and arrested a minor who admitted to stealing it. After multiple court appearances, the case was dropped because they said there was insufficient evidence to charge the person. More importantly, they arrested him after a high-speed chase. He admitted to stealing the car but was set free.
Lack of accountability has been a significant problem. Criminals know they can more than likely get away with their crimes.
The state has made it clear why they took control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, but this has turned into a political court battle. While it might eventually get settled, innocent people in St. Louis and the region continue to die for no reason.
Illegal guns need to be removed quickly. Crimes should face hard consequences. Our leaders should care and illustrate their concerns rather than their politics. We have repeatedly written that the local leaders are in over their heads and now face severe budget problems that overshadow the real problem.
The community should join together to demand more assistance. While we understand that the Mayor acknowledges more crime prevention is needed, she is right that the city can’t afford it alone. Where she is wrong is not begging for help from forces that might be able to help reverse this downward-spiraling crime that is taking the lives of kids, and now, mothers of young kids.
The region cannot fix this crime problem alone. The current leaders should not be blamed for a problem that a democratically controlled region has nurtured for decades, which has become a nightmare for the current leadership. Where they are wrong now is thinking that they can handle this. Call for help. The St. Louis Mayor and the Missouri Governor should be sitting down daily, if necessary, to help resolve this and maybe call on the federal government to swiftly squash this crime-infested region. Lawsuits are not the answer. True heartfelt cooperation and a strategic plan with a force so big that it sends the criminals into hiding where they belong.
Who is to blame? Anybody and everybody in power who is setting themselves up to think they have the answers and playing politics rather than doing their damn job.
Crime has killed a significant amount of the local economy. Drive around downtown. Nobody wants to go there, and after this past weekend’s shooting around the Energizer Park, can you blame them? It will be impossible for the city to recover if this is not dealt with swiftly. The Mayor will go down in history for her actions. That history will be determined by her actions and ability to resolve this situation. The outcome of this will be resolved, improved, or get worse. So far, it appears NOT TO BE IMPROVING.
There is no room for arrogance or politics here. There are only a few options. Make history by making the right decisions that do not involve pride or politics. What we are seeing is not leadership. It is politics.
We predict that this upcoming 4th of July weekend will not be any better, and the curfew is not protecting the innocent; it is confining them because the leaders can’t control the community. It should be the other way around: criminals confined, and the innocent free to enjoy life and their community, not fear it. Now, people are scared, but they sit in silence, hoping leaders do what they are supposed to do.
