Maplewood City Council used the last hour of the 1 hour, 40 minute meeting on Tuesday wrestling with how to handle the public safety challenges in area of the Yale Avenue bus stop on Manchester Road.
City Manager Amber Withycombe said she made the decision to remove the bench from the shelter in September in an effort to control drug activity and violence taking place there.
Ward 2 Council Member Chasity Mattox said the the area has been disinvested in for years. “For my entire existence in this city, it is a different experience to live in that part of Ward 2, than it is to live on your street — talking to Ward 1 member Krista Garcia — where I grew up, or Ward 3, where Nick [Homa, Ward 3] lives.
The council members grappled with how to ensure public safety while still providing a community space.
Ward 1 Council Member C Wiley agreed with Mattox. “That’s the root of the issue here, is investment in that area, and I think that I want to make it very clear that I am a huge proponent of anything we can do to bring community space to that part of Maplewood.”
Police Chief Matt Neighbor said the police department’s number one priority is public safety. “The drug activity and I’ll call it gun violence is still a very, very big concern,” he said of the area. “When you have individuals that congregate, that aren’t using the bench for its purposes — for Metro or using the food pantry — matters can escalate, and we’ve seen that with assaults and disturbances.”
Earlier in the meeting the five members of the new Police Advisory Board were appointed: Andy Bryan, Corinne Char, Sheila Suderwalla, Linda Robinson and Kevin Chase.
Hear the council’s discussion on the situation on YouTube, beginning at about 39 minutes into the meeting.
Withycombe also reported that in the upcoming April 2026 elections, Ward 1 council member Krista Garcia and Ward 2 council member Chasity Mattox will be running unopposed as incumbents.
Shawn Faulkingham has decided to step down from representing Ward 3 after 21 years on the council. Plan and Zoning Commission member Mark Vanden Akker will run unopposed for the Ward 3 council seat.
Cuckoo banana crackers! Sammy November 16, 2025 At 9:52 pm And “taking away the seating and electrical outlets at the Yale bus stop to ICE agents”. The bus stop shelter is an example of Exquisite Architecture, complementing Maplewood’s historic standing as a destination. The possibility of taking a lighting study and design element for implementing safety at this location.
It would be nice to see a little more police presence in these areas, and residential areas of ward 2 in general, instead of our cops sitting in the parking of businesses.
Wrestling with how to handle the public safety challenges in the area of the Yale Avenue bus stop on Manchester Road. I don’t believe Maplewood cares about fixing this problem. Public transportation is for the underserved citizens.
Smart bus shelters are designed to enhance public safety and deter crime by incorporating advanced technology and features. These shelters often include sensors to monitor air quality, noise, footfall, and traffic, which can help in crime prevention by providing real-time data on environmental conditions. Additionally, smart bus shelters can be equipped with digital screens for advertising, wayfinding, and real-time travel information, which can serve as a deterrent to crime by reducing the need for physical signs and increasing visibility. The use of public WiFi and emergency buttons also contributes to safety by providing a means for passengers to communicate with authorities in case of an emergency. Too much open access from all sides and the block wall is a hiding spot. Not original, either. Modify the block wall. Or make it go away and back to the original building design.
So how about now deal with the fentanyl junkies and drug market in the parking lot at Bellevue and Manchester. Maplewood Police are well aware of it, and the usual suspects. But not a damn thing is done in this city if it’s not in the special business district. The same junkies are slumped as I drive through the intersection driving to work in a he morning, as they are driving home in the evening. This is on top of the nonsense that comes from the ReSale clientele that are constantly jacking up traffic and adding to further problems in the neighborhood.
City Manager Amber Withycombe said she decided to remove the bench from the shelter. That is all it took. Now that is what I call an executive decision. The concrete block wall makes a good hideout for attacking someone, and I would guess it is not original to the structure. Looks very dark at night. Considering the distance, the Maplewood Metro is from the Maplewood Special Business District and no shuttle to and fo. I used AI to give me an answer. AI said someone is holding back public transportation in this community. You think?
Yale Avenue bus stop: What to do about the criminals using it? Has the local architect or mayor offered any suggestions? I have many, but I stopped offering my time and services to Maplewood MO.
Thank you for that!
How about dealing with the open drug market and junkies in the parking lot adjacent the bodega at Bellevue and Manchester as well?
The people griping about this being some sort of attack on the unhoused don’t care as long as it’s not on their street. Notice 99% of them live in other areas of Maplewood where it’s not an issue. Some lunatic at the last council meeting was literally comparing taking away the seating and electrical outlets at the Yale bus stop to ICE agents targeting people for detention and deportation. We’ve got some real doozies in this town!
Cuckoo banana crackers!
Again for the people in the back who may have missed it–PUBLIC SAFETY IS #1 PRIORITY. Isn’t it so telling that the same group of people always running their mouths at these meetings and on social media live somewhere else than the area affected? It’s super easy and convenient to virtue signal about these issues when it’s not in your backyard so to speak. Aren’t these are some of the same brainiacs who literally have defended sex offenders being in our parks and suggested installing needle drop boxes during COVID when Hummert Park was littered with discarded IV needles and feces smeared on bathroom walls?
It’s exhausting to even listen to them anymore…