Public Safety
RBC’s top policy priority is public safety because it is fundamental to improving quality of life, talent retention, and growing our region’s economy. We believe that increasing the safety of all in our region requires a threefold approach:
Enforcement
Support law enforcement by providing private sector collaboration, expertise, resources, and connections.
Prevention
Promote job creation for at-risk youth and justice-involved individuals, investments in mental health and drug treatment, and initiatives that reduce gun violence.
Intervention
Advocate for policies and programs that disrupt impending incidents of gun violence and crime and lead regional neighborhood revitalization initiatives in high-crime areas.
To help achieve our common goal, we invest in organizations and programs such as the St. Louis Police Foundation to support increased communication between the City and County Police Departments; invest in the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ Save Our Son’s and Sister’s Program and Serving our Streets, which are aimed at decreasing gun violence and increasing access to resources and jobs; and champion Bi-State’s Secure Platforms Plan to increase safety on public transit.
Public Safety Initiatives
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The Regional Business Council has elected to the Save Lives Now! violence reduction efforts. Save Lives Now! is a regional initiative led by the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council. It’s designed to reduce violent street crime by 20% over three years with a three-pronged approach: focused deterrence, cognitive behavioral theory, and street outreach. Learn More
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Clean Up, Build Up, is a multi-year partnership with the Urban League of Metropolitan to help revitalize under-resourced neighborhoods in the region by clearing away years of debris and abandoned structures from many under-resourced neighborhoods across the region. Learn more
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The RBC helped put together over $1M to launch the Anti-Violence Crime Initiative in Downtown St. Louis. These funds supported the staffing of additional police officers equipped with patrol vehicles.
