Screenshot / YouTube, FOX 2 St. Louis, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has initiated a bold approach to combatting crime within her city, one that diverges from traditional strategies typically centered around bolstering law enforcement.

Jones, instead, has proposed a new tactic: holding local businesses accountable for crimes occurring on or around their premises. Her strategy seeks to engage the private sector in a more proactive role in fostering community safety.

Jones' inspiration for this approach stemmed from her attendance at the Black Mayors' Coalition on Crime, held in Memphis, Tennessee.

It was there that she became acquainted with a program in Atlanta targeting nightclub owners, prompting her to contemplate the applicability of such measures to St. Louis. 

“We have a lot of violence around convenience stores and gas stations,” Jones said speaking to WMC-TV. “So how can we hold those business owners accountable and also bring down crime? Some of the things are already doing, we’re finding other mayors are doing as well.”

Jones believes it's important to hold business owners rather than city government officials accountable for crimes on business property. Other meeting attendees suggested that the problem isn't that crime is rising, but merely that people perceive that it's rising.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young said, “We are solidified and resolved in the fact that we are stronger together. The national crime data may show some decreases in overall crime stats, but what we discussed today is that if people don’t feel safe, then the statistics don’t matter.”

Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said, “We’re ensuring amongst ourselves that this will not be the last engagement but we will continue to lean in.”

The Blaze, however, is calling foul on these claims. “By any measure, St. Louis is one of the worst cities for crime in America. The city received an “F” rating from CrimeGrade.org.”

“For years St. Louis has had one of the highest murder rates and violent crime rates in the country. Jones has been mayor of St. Louis since 2021,” the outlet added.

The economic hardships endured by businesses, exacerbated by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, further complicate the feasibility of such measures.

Businesses, already grappling with dwindling revenues and operational constraints, may find themselves ill-equipped to address the multifaceted challenges posed by criminal activities in their vicinity.

Recent statistics from Memphis, where a similar approach has been attempted, indicate a concerning upward trend in crime rates, casting doubt on the viability of such measures to yield tangible results.

Users on X shared their frustrations with the new tactic, arguing that business owners should not be held “accountable” for crimes that happen on their premises. They also emphasized holding government officials accountable for the ramped crime instead.

“Liberals have the worst ideas in the history of the bad ideas,” lamented one user.

Some argued that the burden placed on proprietors of establishments such as nightclubs, where alcohol consumption often contributes to heightened risk factors, may appear somewhat justified. However, extending such accountability to owners of convenience stores or gas stations raises legitimate concerns regarding the feasibility of their intervention in criminal activities beyond their control.

“These people are high. Punish business for criminals? For a Democrat, everyone else is responsible – not the criminal. That is the laziest excuse I’ve ever heard,” wrote another user.