After three ‘listening sessions,’ St. Louis County police board to start interviewing applicants for chief this week – STLtoday.com

ST. LOUIS COUNTY — They meant to upend tradition, and invite the public into the process of picking the next police chief. So, during three community meetings over the past month, members of the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners heard from a range of residents and advocates.

It turned out, the people of St. Louis County, no matter where they resided, said they want an honest, trustworthy cop in charge. A chief who will address crime. Someone who knows the community. Someone fair.

At the three meetings, the five commissioners — William Ray Price Jr., Michelle Schwerin, Mark Gaertner, Dr. Laurie Punch and Thomasina Hassler — listened intently and took notes as local political leaders, former and current law enforcement officials, representatives of various community groups and concerned citizens spoke.

“We absolutely were listening and taking those comments into consideration,” said Price, board chairman. “Most of the residents were saying some of the same things. They want a chief who was honest, has integrity and someone who will address the racial concerns in the community.”

While most of the attributes residents wanted from a police chief were repeated in all of the meetings, some themes emerged at different locations.

At the North County meeting, held on Feb. 19, many residents noted they wanted a police chief who understood the strained relationships between black residents and police, and would be transparent during times of controversy.

South County residents, meeting in Lemay on Feb. 26, made it clear they wanted a proven leader and a chief who would keep crime down.

Residents at the West County meeting, held at Parkway North High School on Tuesday, said they wanted a local leader, somebody who knew the region.

“I have nothing against people in Illinois. I do feel that somebody who lives in the area, works in the area is going to have stronger accountability and just a better work ethic, higher standard,” said Grant Read, a county resident.

Glendale police Chief Jeff Beaton, vice chair of the St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association, said he spoke on behalf of area police agencies that rely on the St. Louis County Police Department, “sometimes on a daily basis.”

“We feel that it’s important that the candidate not only embraces St. Louis County, but also they have a full understanding of the importance of the relationships within the organizations and that we all work in cooperation for a common goal to make St. Louis a safer place to live.”

Other residents on Tuesday called for a rigorous vetting process, to ensure the next county chief has no past or pending legal issues. Others called for a chief who understood race relations in St. Louis.

The deadline for applications to replace Chief Jon Belmar passed last week; the board begins interviewing applicants on Tuesday.

Some residents have already voiced their preference. In February, the mayors of several north St. Louis County municipalities urged the board to pick Lt. Col. Troy Doyle, who served last year as interim director of the St. Louis County Department of Justice Services.

On Feb. 21, the board announced it was opening up applications to the department’s 18 captains in addition to the five lieutenant colonels. The board said it hasn’t ruled out hiring someone from outside the department. Four of the eight chiefs who have been hired since the department was founded in 1955 came from outside of St. Louis County. All eight have been white men.

Belmar, who served six years as chief, will retire on April 30. At the last community meeting, he pointed to some of his accomplishments, including an increase in the number of officers, a low homicide clearance rate, and continuing development of the county’s analysis unit.

He said when he leaves next month, every county police officer is expected to have a body camera.

Belmar’s retirement follows a nearly $20 million verdict on Oct. 15 in favor of Sgt. Keith Wildhaber, who sued Belmar and the county for discrimination because of his sexual orientation after being passed over for promotion 23 times. After mediation with the county, Wildhaber will be awarded $7 million plus another $3.25 million by Jan. 31, 2021.

Four of the five police board members were appointed by County Executive Sam Page after the Wildhaber verdict.

Price, a Republican, is a retired Missouri Supreme Court justice who also served on the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners. Schwerin, vice chairman of the board, is an independent, lawyer and CPA.

The three Democrats on the board are Gaertner, Punch and Hassler. Punch is an associate professor of surgery at Washington University, and Hassler is an adjunct assistant professor of social science at Harris-Stowe State University and a scholar-in-residence at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Punch and Hassler were voted in by the St. Louis County Council on Nov. 26.

Gaertner‘s term expired in November, and Page previously stated he’d been interviewing candidates for his position.