Monday, April 23, 2012

Court Advocacy and Neighborhood Ownership of Crime and Safety

A strong partnership among neighborhoods, police officers, prosecutors and judges is the best crime-fighting weapon available in the City of St. Louis. When all the parts of the criminal justice system and community work together to address problems and develop shared solutions, we can achieve long-term crime reduction. The public is the "800 pound gorilla" in the law enforcement community and when - and only when - citizens assume their power and get involved will St. Louis realize the promise we all know is within our reach. If we all work together each and every day, we can create an environment where criminals live in fear of being held accountable for their actions. Citizens and neighborhood groups are the best and often strongest evidence we have of how crime impacts the daily lives of the people of the City of St. Louis. One way to harness the power of the community is by becoming court advocates for cases that happen in your neighborhood. Neighborhood court advocates work to either write letters or speak in court about the impact of crime or case on the community itself. To learn more about working together with your neighborhoods to either come to court or write neighborhood impact statements, contact the Circuit Attorney's Office at 314-622-4941 or attend your neighborhood meeting to learn the steps involved. Rachel A. Smith Chief Prosecutor Community Affairs Bureau Rachel A. Smith, Chief Prosecutor Community Affairs Bureau will do our Court Advocacy and Neighborhood Ownership of Crime and Safety training: Monday, April 23rd 2012 @ our CHNA Meeting.

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