Proposed St. Louis City bill would make pulling on car door handles a crime

By Jenna Rae

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    ST. LOUIS (KMOV) — Car-related thefts are increasing across St. Louis City, up by 50% from last year in some parts. The increase in car thefts has prompted several city aldermen to take a stand and introduce a bill that would make pulling on car door handles a crime.

“It’s worse now than it ever has been. It’s been escalating month by month,” Tom Scheifler said. Scheifler is a longtime resident of the St. Louis Hills neighborhood in South City. He’s also the chairperson on the neighborhood safety committee. He’s been tracking car-related thefts for years now.

“We get two kinds of thieves. We get the ones that are walking down the street flipping car handles on both sides of the street, looking for an open car to jump into and grab a gun or wallet, whatever was left behind. Then, we get the catalytic converter thieves,” Scheifler said.

Scheifler noticed an increase in car-related thefts over the last year. However, South City isn’t the only part of town that’s seeing this issue.

“There’s been crime. I think more than we expected,” Kevin Koenig said. He lives in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood. In early September, he had his catalytic converter cut off his car. He says car-related thefts are becoming more common in his part of town too.

“I was very surprised and our neighbors were surprised when I told them. Something we’re all a lot more mindful of now,” Koenig said.

Friday, the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen will be voting on a bill that would incriminate thieves who specifically are going around pulling on car door handles. It’s a bill that draws more specificity from the state statute on attempted break-ins or burglaries.

“We know specifically these are organized crews that are looking to steal guns or the car itself. So, by bringing it to a municipal level, we know we can pay some attention to it, and police can then formulate a strategy or a plan on how to stop it,” Alderman Tom Oldenburg said.

Oldenburg represents the 16th ward in South City. He’s sponsoring Board Bill 61 along with nine other aldermen. Oldenburg says the bill has been widely accepted by his colleagues.

“Public safety continues to be the largest issue,” Oldenburg said.

Safety is an issue in all parts of the city, Oldenburg says. He also tells News 4 it’s the utmost priority for his constituents. If Board Bill 61 passes, citizens could now turn in security footage and pictures to police. A report would be filed and if the suspects are found, they could be facing a fine, jail time, probation or diversion programs.

“The bill itself could prevent people from doing it in the first place,” Koenig said.

News 4 asked several city residents on their thoughts on Board Bill 61. All of them said they’re in favor.

“It’s really just another part of the equation in understanding how bad it is, and making sure the police can record and report when this happens and respond,” Scheifler said.

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