The reports, more than 80 pages {total|overall}, {describe|explain} {two|2} {very|extremely|really} {different|various} departments, each {facing|dealing with} {distinct|unique} {challenges|difficulties|obstacles}, {but|however} {similar|comparable} in their {reliance|dependence} on {outdated|out-of-date} policies and practices, and hobbled by internal rancor over hiring, {promotions|promos} and discipline. Neither department {communicates|interacts} well with {the public|the general public}, {employees|workers|staff members} or, {crucially|most importantly}, with each other. This {lack|absence} of county-city coordination is {a roadblock|an obstruction} to combating {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} throughout the {region|area}, the reports conclude.
21 December 2020
Produced by New York-based Teneo and {funded|moneyed} by Centene Corp. and other {major|significant} St. Louis corporations, the reports do not {recommend|suggest|advise} the {two|2} departments {{merge|combine} or {consolidate|combine}|{consolidate|combine} or {merge|combine}}. {{But|However} they do {call on|contact|get in touch with} both {police|authorities|cops} chiefs, command {staffs|personnels} and specialized {task|job} forces to talk with one another {almost|practically|nearly} daily, and to {regularly|routinely|frequently} share {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} analyses and {investigations|examinations} intelligence.
| They do call on both {police|authorities|cops} chiefs, command {staffs|personnels} and specialized {task|job} forces to talk with one another {almost|practically|nearly} daily, and to {regularly|routinely|frequently} share {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} analyses and {investigations|examinations} intelligence.
} In other parts of the {country|nation}, {police|authorities|cops} chiefs of {neighboring|surrounding} departments {talk to|speak with|speak to|talk with} one another {much more|a lot more|far more} {frequently|often|regularly} than do St. Louis County {Police|Authorities|Cops} Chief Mary Barton and St. Louis {Police|Authorities|Cops} Chief John Hayden– {and that|which} {has|has actually} {been true|held true} of their predecessors too, the reports {said|stated}.
The {consultants|specialists|experts} {recommend|suggest|advise} that both {agencies|companies|firms} enact a 120-day pilot program in which they cooperatively police {two|2} high-crime {areas|locations} along the border, in Jennings’ 8th precinct and in St. Louis’ {6th|sixth} district. The Post-Dispatch {previously|formerly} reported that such an effort was {already|currently} underway.
The {outside|outdoors} {reviews|evaluations} were {announced|revealed} in June by County Executive Sam Page and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson {amid|amidst|in the middle of} {rising|increasing} {concern|issue} about {police|authorities|cops} practices and violent {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity}. Centene CEO Michael Neidorff, who {pushed for|promoted} the {reviews|evaluations}, {has|has actually} been {vocal|singing} about the {need|requirement} to {address|deal with|attend to|resolve} {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity}, which he {has|has actually} {identified|determined|recognized} as {an impediment|an obstacle} to {business|company|service|organization} recruitment and {expansion|growth}.
St. Louis County
The {largest|biggest} {section|area} of the report on St. Louis County {police|authorities|cops} {details|information} “{a serious|a major|a severe} racial divide” within the department, {made worse|worsened|intensified} by {hiring|employing|working with}, training and {promotions|promos} practices and policies that aren’t transparent. The report echoes criticisms by the Ethical Society of {Police|Authorities|Cops}, a group representing minority officers that {has|has actually} {called on|contacted|gotten in touch with} Barton to {address|deal with|attend to|resolve} systemic {racism|bigotry} in the department.
The county {police|authorities|cops} department, the {consultants|specialists|experts} {found|discovered}, {has|has actually} {failed|stopped working} to track {how many|the number of} Black or Hispanic {recruits|employees} {enter|go into|get in} the {police|authorities|cops} academy and {become|end up being} officers. And the department’s {Diversity|Variety} and {Inclusion|Addition} {Unit|System}, {a special|an unique} {division|department} formed {last year|in 2015} to {address|deal with|attend to|resolve} {complaints|grievances|problems} of discrimination, {has|has actually} {lacked|done not have} a clear focus or {mandate|required}.
Officers {interviewed|spoken with|talked to} by Teneo {said|stated} the department’s {hiring, {promotion|promo} and transfer|hiring, transfer and {promotion|promo}|{promotion|promo}, hiring and transfer|{promotion|promo}, transfer and hiring|transfer, hiring and {promotion|promo}|transfer, {promotion|promo} and hiring} policies were “{unfair|unjust|unreasonable}, {biased|prejudiced} and/or too subjective,” the report {says|states}, {calling on|contacting|getting in touch with} the department to {revise|modify} policies {based on|based upon} {objective|unbiased} {criteria|requirements} and {transparency|openness}. And the report {recommends|suggests|advises} that Barton personally {facilitate|help with|assist in} a workshop {between|in between} ESOP and the St. Louis County {Police|Authorities|Cops} Officers Association– the {police|authorities|cops} union– to {address|deal with|attend to|resolve} {complaints|grievances|problems}. It {also|likewise} {recommends|suggests|advises} that she {create|produce|develop} an advisory council of faith, {business|company|service|organization}, {{educational|academic|instructional} and civil|civil and {educational|academic|instructional}} rights leaders.
“There is {a narrowing|a constricting} window of {opportunity|chance} for the chief to {address|resolve} this racial divide, {exert|put in|apply} {new|brand-new} {leadership|management} and lead {positive|favorable} cultural {change|modification}, some {steps|actions} of which are {currently|presently} underway,” the county report {said|stated}.
The report {also|likewise} {identifies|determines|recognizes} {numerous|various|many} policies governing internal affairs and policing practices in the county that {haven’t|have not} been {addressed|dealt with|attended to|resolved} {for years|for many years|for several years}, {noting|keeping in mind} in {particular|specific} that the department’s use-of-force policy, which is {currently|presently} being {reviewed|evaluated|examined} by {police|authorities|cops}, hasn’t been {updated|upgraded} {since|because|considering that|given that} 2010. Neither has the department’s 2004 policy governing how it {investigates|examines} {misconduct|misbehavior} {complaints|grievances|problems}.
One {roadblock|obstruction} to {revising|modifying} policies in the county, the report asserts, is the union, which can {contest|object to} policy {decisions|choices} by the chief and subject them to {negotiations|settlements}. The {collective|cumulative} bargaining {agreement|contract|arrangement} {also|likewise} {purposefully|actively} makes it {hard|difficult|tough} for {the public|the general public} to {access|gain access to} {information|info|details} about officers in {allegations|accusations|claims} of {misconduct|misbehavior}, the report {says|states}, {also|likewise} {noting|keeping in mind} that the 2004 policy {needs|requires} to be {revised|modified} and {should|ought to|must|need to} {allow|enable|permit} officers’ records to be {released|launched} within 96 hours of {an incident|an event|an occurrence} {in most cases|in many cases|for the most part|most of the times}.
The report {also|likewise} {recommends|suggests|advises} that “every sworn officer” in the county {wear|use} a body {camera|video camera|cam|electronic camera}.
“Failure to have a strong, clear policy in {place|location}, and one that {leans toward|favors} {transparency|openness} and release {reasonably|fairly} {quickly|rapidly} after {a controversial|a questionable} {incident|event|occurrence} {occurs|happens|takes place}, {could|might} have {grave|serious|severe} {consequences|repercussions|effects} for the department’s {credibility|reliability|trustworthiness} and {perception|understanding} of {transparency|openness} with the {community|neighborhood},” the report {says|states}.
The report {also|likewise} {calls on|contacts|gets in touch with} the county department to {revise|modify} its crime-fighting {strategies|techniques|methods} to {focus on|concentrate on} {precision|accuracy} policing, the {idea|concept} that {investigators|detectives|private investigators} {should|ought to|must|need to} target {a small|a little} {percentage|portion} of {offenders|culprits|wrongdoers|transgressors} {responsible|accountable} for {an outside|an outdoors} {proportion|percentage} of {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity}, and hold {regular|routine} {meetings|conferences} with {community|neighborhood} groups to {discuss|talk about|go over} {detailed|comprehensive|in-depth} {crime|criminal offense|criminal activity} {statistics|stats|data} {down to|to} the {neighborhood|community|area} block level.
The report {places|puts|positions} {emphasis|focus} on Barton’s {role|function} as chief, {calling on|contacting|getting in touch with} her to take a more active {role|function} in {briefing|rundown|instruction} the media and public on {high-profile|prominent} {crimes|criminal offenses|criminal activities} and {coordinating|collaborating} {partnerships|collaborations} with {community|neighborhood} groups.