ST. LOUIS _ A resolution thanking St. Louis police officers won't move forward to the full Board of Aldermen after a heated discussion in committee on Tuesday.
Multiple aldermen expressed frustration that the city in recent weeks had been mired in debates over "tit-for-tat" resolutions, which are not laws. Resolutions are typically used to show consensus or criticism, express the board's opinion on public policy issues, or thank someone for their service.
Last month, the board approved a resolution honoring Anthony Lamar Smith, the man killed by former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley in 2011. Stockley, who is white, shot Smith, a black drug suspect, after a car chase.
As protests over Stockley's eventual acquittal continue throughout the city, more resolutions have emerged to pay tribute to police and to invite the interim police chief, Lawrence O'Toole, to answer questions.
Alderman Joseph Vaccaro, 23rd Ward, introduced his resolution to thank police as a response to the measure for Smith, which he deemed a "punch in the gut" for law enforcement officers.
"I think the police during all of this have done a pretty good job. I know that some people would disagree on some points. But I also think they've shown a lot of restraint considering some of the protesters have thrown things at them," Vaccaro said.
But some aldermen on Tuesday said they feared allowing the police resolution to be debated before the full board on Friday would have led to a "firestorm" that would distract from more pressing issues the city is facing.
"We were elected to lead. It puts members of the board in awkward positions when we pass resolutions such as this. You vote one way, you're seen as being anti-police. If you vote one way, you're seen as being anti-protesters," said Alderman Tammika Hubbard. "Of course a lot of us support police. That's why we pass bills down here to make sure they get the proper raises they need."
The Smith resolution had prompted swift backlash from law enforcement and others who argued the city shouldn't honor someone with Smith's criminal record. Those who supported it contend they did so to comfort Smith's grieving mother.
Vaccaro maintains that passing his resolution would have been a gesture to police to help move the city forward.
"If we're going to come together as a community, it's going to happen at the table. It's going to happen when we realize there are issues on both sides," he said.
Alderman John Collins-Muhammad, 21st Ward, sponsored the resolution for Smith and said he's been receiving death threats ever since. He said Vaccaro's motion was ignorant, and called the timing of its introduction problematic.
"It's problematic for me, it's problematic for people in my community and it's problematic for people who feel the police department and the city's judicial system is not adequately representing them," he said.
Collins-Muhammad tried to amend the measure to thank all first responders and public safety workers, not just police. The public safety committee rejected that amendment, and the underlying resolution failed 5-3.
Aldermen voting against sending it to the full board for discussion were committee chairman Terry Kennedy, Pam Boyd, Hubbard, Collins-Muhammad and Jeffrey Boyd. Aldermen voting in favor were Vaccaro, Jack Coatar and Larry Arnowitz.
Kennedy said he was disappointed with the perception that aldermen could not support the city police force and Smith's family at the same time.
"It is unfortunate that on various issues there's always these absolutes. Either you're all over here, or all over there. And life really often isn't like that," Kennedy said. "So the notion that you could support a resolution honoring the mother of someone who has been killed does not mean that you do not support the other individuals."
