Kim Gardner got personal experience with the end game of violent crime while working in her family’s funeral home. There she realized the desperate need for more safety, according to The St. Louis American. Gardner became St. Louis’ first African-American circuit attorney, working with the Urban League, Better Family Life, the federal government and other social service organizations to create programs that address the root causes of violence instead of just locking people up and hoping things change. Gardner is working to build trust between communities, the police, and her office — a thankless job. Her reforms have both been cheered and criticized
