The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners began fielding comments from community members tonight about what qualifications they should look for in the next Chief of Police.
Some residents said he should have a master’s degree.
Other’s added that he needed the kind of street smarts it takes to effectively tackle crime.
And Janet Jones said that all sounds good, but with one addendum.
“I keep hearing ‘he’ and I would like the board to keep in mind that we have some very, very qualified females on the police department,” Jones said. “So, keep in mind, we can add a little spice and maybe make history here in St. Louis.”
Robert Muhler added that the successful candidate should also have a fair amount of street smarts.
“Smarts to me means knowing how to get things done hands on, if necessary,” Muhler said. “And the ability to think on your feet or even while you’re running, if that should be the case.”
There’s another community forum on Thursday at the Grbic Center on the south side of St. Louis City.
Current Police Chief Dan Isom announced last month that he’s stepping down to take a job in the Criminology Department at the University of Missouri St. Louis.
Even though voters approved local police control on Tuesday, the city won’t take over the department until this summer.
While the state remains in control of the department only current officers are eligible to become the new Police Chief.
