ST. LOUIS — Reported crimes have significantly decreased this year in downtown ºüÀêÊÓƵ amid a high-profile effort to put more police patrols on the streets.
It’s not just downtown; crime is down citywide. But downtown’s decrease outpaces the rest of the city, and it accelerated over the summer as a nonprofit that supports local police began spending almost $1 million in officer overtime to beef up patrols downtown.
Crime rates are notoriously difficult to predict — or explain. But the trend is a positive step for the region’s geographic, business and entertainment hub, which for years has been the subject of intense public scrutiny when it comes to crime and law enforcement.
“I’m encouraged to see this. A lot of things are at play here,†said Alderwoman Cara Spencer, whose ward includes part of downtown. “One of which is we’ve got a new police chief who has his eye on downtown — which is a good thing. It’s the economic engine of our city.â€
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Collectively, the city’s Downtown and Downtown West neighborhoods have seen a 34% decrease this year in property crimes compared with last year, according to by ºüÀêÊÓƵ police. Citywide, that decrease is 17%.
Property crimes encompass about 25 different offenses, including theft and robbery.
Starting in July, the nonprofit ºüÀêÊÓƵ Police Foundation, which also provides about dedicated almost $1 million to extra officer overtime patrols in an effort to crack down on crime downtown.
About a quarter of that overtime money was spent in July and August, according to department invoices obtained through a records request. The program is expected to run through November.
And while its early returns are encouraging, said Kelsey Cundiff, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-ºüÀêÊÓƵ, she is skeptical of the program’s influence on crime.
“There have been research studies that look at levels of patrol and have not necessarily found evidence that just increasing the patrol numbers alone has any sort of crime-reducing effect,†she said. “That’s not necessarily universal. Those are always studies that are kind of city-specific.â€
The property crime decrease is driven largely by a return to normal levels following last year’s dramatic spike in car thefts after a viral TikTok video showed how to exploit a security flaw and steal many models of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
But other types of crime are down, too.
Aggravated assaults, which include attacks by a person using or showing a weapon and attacks where the victim is seriously injured, are down 18% downtown, outpacing the 7% decline citywide. Most aggravated assaults involve guns.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ has faced criticism for providing incomplete data sets for the FBI’s quarterly and yearly reports because of technology issues. But the city’s monthly data — which shows the downtown decrease — is complete.
The city’s trend follows what criminologists are seeing in most cities across the country, Cundiff said.
“(It’s) going to be things that are not necessarily local changes but maybe more national, societal-level differences that tend to predict whether or not crime is going to go up or down,†she said.
Kelli McCrary, executive director for the Downtown ºüÀêÊÓƵ Community Improvement District, said she does credit the increase in patrols downtown.
“This initiative brought much-needed additional police patrols to focus on engagement, authoritative presence, and increased visibility,†she said in a written statement. “The sustainability of this program will continue to benefit the downtown community.â€
McCrary’s organization also boosted its spending on security services this year by more than $100,000 but would not release specific details on how that money was allocated. The CID hires security, including off-duty police officers who patrol near businesses and events seeking extra protection, and it funds equipment and training for the city police department’s bike unit.
Chief Tracy declined to speak with the Post-Dispatch about crime trends, but department spokesman Sgt. Charles Wall emphasized the citywide decline and said the department uses alternate options to pay for overtime to add extra patrols in other neighborhoods, too.
Michelle Craig, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Police Foundation’s president and executive director, said the organization doesn’t comment on the impact of its donations.