By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners Friday rescinded a vote to lift the residency requirement for civilian employees of the police department.
Last Wednesday the board voted to allow those employees to live outside the city.
The vote came after Mayor Francis Slay left the meeting. Slay raised concerns about the vote, which led to the unanimous decision to rescind.
Board president Chris Goodson says while he personally supports the rule, the voting process should be respected:
I feel even stronger about that that we live in a democracy, we live in a
representative republic and that all opinions must be shared and spoken for, Goodson said. And when one member is visibly upset and has some concerns, we should all respect that and step back. And especially when that member is the voice of the people in this system.
The board voted to reconsider the issue on April 12. Mayor Slay says he's concerned there may not be enough time to convince the board to keep the residency rule in place.