The Kinloch, Missouri police department recently laid off four officers, which represents half the force. The steep cuts stunned the terminated cops who believe residents will not be adequately protected by the much smaller department.

In response, each of the officers volunteered to work a twelve hour shift without pay every week just to make sure the community has at least one cop on duty around the clock. Mayor Keith Conway insists the cuts were needed and will not put public safety at risk.

Kinloch has a rich history, but many people blame its recent demise on the airport expansion. In the 1980s, Lambert Airport purchased most of the city's private homes. Three out of four Kinloch residents moved out of town. The 2000 census estimated there were only 449 people living in Kinloch. The lost residents and tax revenue, but it gained a reputation as a haven for gangs and violent crime, which makes the recent cuts harder for the officers, and many residents to accept.

Kinloch's mayor hopes new development in the area will help turn things around. The city, along with St. Louis County, the City of St. Louis, Berkeley and Ferguson are all part of a massive redevelopment plan that is expected to create thousands of jobs and build office and retail space throughout the area. NorthPark Partners, the project developer, plan to donate a new civic center to Kinloch.

So, there is potential for a rebirth of Kinloch, at least a partial rejuvination. But, for now, the small pocket of poverty is showing signs that its problems are getting worse.

Comments (0)

Recently several residents have reported a man and woman who have been knocking on doors in the Benton Park Neighborhood of St. Louis, near Cherokee Park. On a couple of occasions they started knocking on doors shortly before 9 a.m. and pounded on doors at several homes on one street. If someone answered the door, they claimed that they were looking for someone named "Amy." It's very suspicious that they would be looking for "Amy" on several occasions and at several different homes.

Police say this sounds like a classic technique used by burglars. They knock on your front door to see if anyone's home and if no one answers they try to bust in the front door or walk around to the back of the house and break a window. From their appearance and their suspicious actions, two homeowners thought this couple was up to no good and called 911. Their appearance in this neighborhood is a heads-up to others to be on alert for this kind of tactic.

Here are some important crime prevention tips:
1) If someone comes to your door that you don't recognize, police recommend you don't answer the door or at least talk to them through a locked door.
2) Also, they recommend that you be sure to have a good deadbolt.
3) And consider reinforcing your door frame to keep your home secure while you're away.
4) A security system is very helpful.
5) And a radio on a timer might cause crooks to think someone's home even if you don't answer the door.

Comments (0)

A pair of thieves have been making the rounds to local health clubs to steal from customers. Chesterfield Police believe, in October, they hit a Gold's gym in Manchester, a 24 Hour Fitness in Chesterfield and another health club in Arnold. They've been able to steal valuables from customers' locked cars without breaking out any windows.

Here's how they do it. To get in without a membership, they'll follow a group of people into the door and sneak in without having a membership or use a guest pass to get access to the club. Once inside they'll go into a locker room and go through unlocked lockers. The thieves will take car keys, head to the parking lot and then start pushing the remote control door locks to locate the vehicles. From there they unlock the car doors and steal whatever valuables are left inside, wallets GPS devices, jewelry, cell phones and iPods.

Of course the way to solve this crime is simple, put a lock on the locker. Many gyms sell locks or have the coin operated lockers like you find at swimming pools. Some customers think it's unnecessary to lock up their stuff, if they leave their valuables in the car. But if the crooks can get to your keys, they can get to you wallet.

Comments (1)

Our story focused on StopRepairBills.com, a company that aggressively markets extended auto warranties. The warranties, which can cost $2,000 or more for two years of coverage, are administered by "about a dozen" different companies, according to StopRepairs spokesman Michael Carter.

StopRepairs shares a St. Peters office building with National Dealers Warranty Inc. The Better Business Bureau gives the companies an F rating based on more than 300 consumer complaints during the past three years and other issues. The BBB report also shows that the companies resolved or administratively closed all of those cases.

Our report was prompted by a complaint by Shirley Allen. Ms. Allen bought coverage through StopRepairs. The coverage was administered by a third party, but much of her anger is directed at StopRepairs, which she believes mislead her about the coverage.

StopRepairs insists that it was in the process of paying for Ms. Allen's claim when we called. Even Carter admits it should have been paid, and that Ms. Allen should not have been forced to wait nearly three weeks to get the vehicle repaired. Carter told me the car would be fixed this week, although he called it a coincidence that Ms. Allen's repeated complaints were addressed after we contacted the company.

You can file consumer complaints with the BBB, the Illinois Attorney General and the Missouri Attorney General.

Comments (2)