Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster leads a roundtable on representative policing at UMSL. The discussion included (from left) Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley Interim President Ruby Curry, NAACP St. Louis County Branch President Esther Haywood and Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, along with many other St. Louis-area leaders. (Photo by August Jennewein)
Seeking to increase respect and improve communication between police and the people they serve, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster assembled a roundtable of notable St. Louis-area leaders. Participants in the public session included St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, state senators and area police chiefs, NAACP branch presidents and Dan Isom, a University of Missouri–St. Louis criminologist and director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
Dan Isom (left), UMSL criminologist and director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, participates in a policing roundtable discussion along with Capt. Ron Johnson, command officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Troop C. (Click image to enlarge.) (Photo by August Jennewein)
A press release issued by the attorney general’s office said the policing roundtable was to serve as a way to publicly “discuss possible solutions to the challenges of low minority participation in Missouri’s urban law enforcement agencies.” The discussion was held Oct. 1 at UMSL with a second to take place Oct. 14 in Kansas City, Missouri.
“It is important to identify challenges faced by law enforcement agencies seeking to diversify, as well as barriers experienced by young adults considering law enforcement as a career to benefit their communities,” Koster said in the statement. “This is one way the frustration expressed on the streets of Ferguson can bring positive change in the policing of our urban communities.”
Visit the attorney general’s website to submit discussion ideas for the Kansas City roundtable on representative policing.
Media Coverage:
KPLR (Channel 11)
The St. Louis American
St. Louis Post-Dispach
KMOX (1120 AM)
Associated Press (via Daily Reporter)
