ST. LOUIS — The day before he presented a teen curfew proposal to his fellow St. Louis Board of Aldermen, Brandon Bosley has growing safety concerns
"This person just called the general board," said Alderman Bosley.
The third ward alderman said shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday, someone called St. Louis City Hall and made a disturbing threat directed at his ward.
"It was a man's voice. He was that bold,” recalled Bosley.
A city worker took the call. She told Bosley, "[the man said] that he will burn down places in your ward, if you put a curfew out, and then hung up."
"To express you're gonna burn our properties down. People you don't even know. You're a menace to society,” said Bosley.
Bosley immediately reported the call to police.
"And I hope that we're able to catch this individual and at some time in the very near future, we can have an investigation because that's terroristic in nature,” said the alderman during an exclusive interview with 5 On Your Side.
Despite the threat, the Alderman still plans to introduce a teen curfew bill in hopes of curbing gun violence, particularly among teens.
"The most important thing is ensuring that our children understand that we are trying to figure out the best way to get them in a particular place, where we know they can grow in the city and not put themselves in harm's way,” he said. “Historically, no matter how you twist it or turn it, any teenagers generally that are outside getting hurt being shot or shooting, it's after 12 a.m. It's at 1, 2 a.m.," he said.
Bosley's city-wide proposal would also include creating a curfew center where there's a gym, a kitchen and other resources for kids.
Right now, he's thinking of the curfew being from 12 a.m. to 7 a.m.
It's not just about keeping them off the streets, Bosley said, it's also about giving them a place to go.
"The kids need somewhere to go as soon as that curfew is imposed. The goal is for it to be in a place where we already have large enough space for it, to create what it is they want to do,” he said.
Bosley said the reason he wants to offer this is because most of the individuals who are outside at that time of night are on the streets because of things going on in their household or many other reasons.
"We got to get them off the streets, and we have to get them into something to where they know that there's hope for the future,” he said. “They keep saying they have nothing to do, 'We don't have nothing to do.' The city's not giving them, from their perspective, anything to do. Well, we force them into spaces where we create stuff, that we have stuff for you to do in, and then get you doing it. It's as simple as that.”
5 On Your Side rode around the third ward and chatted with people about the teen curfew bill and the threat that targets their neighborhoods.
"That's wrong. We need this law to help stop the violence," said Tina Hardin, who has lived in the ward for 14 years.
"I think our alderman is doing a good job in our area and the threat is just not necessary,” said Sabrina McAfee, another longtime third ward resident.
Alderman Bosley will introduce his teen curfew bill during the St. Louis Board of Aldermen meeting on Friday morning at 10 a.m.