By ELLA JONES
As Mayor of Ferguson, I have stood with families in some of their darkest moments. I have listened to the grief, the anger, and the confusion that follows acts of violence no community should have to endure. And I will tell you plainly—what we are facing is not just Ferguson’s problem.
Crime does not respect city limits. Violence does not stop at a boundary line. And in many cases, the individuals responsible for violent crime in Ferguson are not from Ferguson. The perpetrators may be transient—but the pain they leave behind is not. That pain stays with our families, our residents, and our cities–no matter where you live.
That is why our response must be just as far-reaching as the problem. Our interventionm must be unified, collaborative, and sustained across jurisdictions.
Last month, my community was shaken when two young teenagers—just 13 and 14 years old—were shot at the conclusion of a regional track meet. One of those children died. Does it matter that the children involved were not from Ferguson? No. Every person in attendance was impacted. Earlier this year, violence erupted at a funeral home here during a memorial service.
Again, the perpetrators were not from Fergson but our city was impacted. These moments are not isolated. They are part of ongoing conflicts that move across communities.
That is why I support Save Lives Now!
This initiative recognizes what we see every day: violence moves, people move, and conflict travels. So the solution must move, too.
Save Lives Now! brings together law enforcement, community leaders, clergy, courts, probation and parole, and trusted street outreach workers who are embedded in the communities most impacted by violence. These individuals step in before a trigger is pulled—mediating disputes, interrupting retaliation, and connecting people to the support they need to choose a different path.
In Ferguson, we have worked hard to build a police department rooted in relationships and prevention. Our officers are focused on stopping violence before it happens, not just responding after the fact. But we also know we cannot do this alone.
If someone commits a violent crime here, we will act. But true safety comes from prevention—and prevention requires coordination beyond our borders.
Save Lives Now! offers a unified strategy and a shared responsibility. It is the kind of sustainable intervention we need—one that does not end when someone crosses into another city.
Right now, the initiative’s reach is limited—not because the need isn’t there, but because the resources are not. Leaders across north St. Louis County and beyond want to be part of this work, but it will not happen without greater support.
At a time when national priorities are shifting away from prevention, we must decide for ourselves what kind of communities we want to build.
We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. We cannot isolate our way out of this problem. We must collaborate our way out of it. Please talk to your elected leaders, and your communities, and your county officials about this critical initiative. Save Lives Now! is not just an initiative, it is an imperative. We must act now.
—Mayor Ella M. Jones
