St. Louis elects first Black female mayor, pledges more social workers instead of police

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St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones, who has been outspoken in her criticism of the criminal justice system’s "arrest and incarcerate" model, won election Tuesday and will take over as the first Black female mayor in a city beset by yet another wave of violent crime.

Jones defeated Alderwoman Cara Spencer in the general election with 51.7% to Spencer’s 47.8%, based on unofficial results posted on the city’s website. She will be sworn in April 20.

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But Jones and Spencer agreed that no crisis is as important as curbing violence, especially killings. Police statistics show that 262 people were killed in St. Louis last year — five fewer than the record of 267 set in 1993. But because the city’s population has declined sharply since 1993, the per capita homicide rate was much higher in 2020.

Already, 2021 is shaping up to be even worse. The city has recorded 46 killings through Tuesday, about 10 ahead of last year’s dangerously high pace.

Jones has pledged to bring in more social workers, mental health counselors and substance abuse counselors, rather than adding more uniformed officers.

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