Governor Parson and St. Louis City and St. Louis County leaders are back together Thursday to announce with a plan to team up on fighting crime, 10 days after they held a highly-publicized meeting in Mayor Lyda Krewson’s office. This week, the planning meetings include community groups as well as county and city prosecutors. Parson will meet with press at 4:30 Thursday afternoon, “unveiling several of the state’s immediate action items to help fight crime in the area.”

According to Krewson, last week’s meeting was to identify and explore federal, state and local resources for policing, including a shortage of officers in the city and county.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has offered Mayor Krewson more of his police force to patrol Metrolink transit trains, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports.

“I am hopeful that by working collaboratively, the City and County can identify potential solutions to these challenges as well as opportunities to coordinate recruitment and retention initiatives,” he said in a letter to the mayor.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page took office April 29, 2019

Wednesday, Page took a symbolic step toward curtailing white-collar crime by signing several executive orders on ethics reform. Page’s predecessor and other staff were federally indicted in a pay-to-play corruption scheme.

This is symbolic, yes, but it’s also a clear sign that we are serious about good government in St. Louis County,” County Executive Page said. “We are not only cleaning up the mess we inherited, but we’re setting the standards for now and the future.”

The executive orders will create a code of ethics for St. Louis County employees and a zero-tolerance policy for fa ilure to report corruption. He also promises more transparency with a new policy to favor Sunshine Law disclosure.