With thousands of residents in the City of Jennings, Lt. Jeffrey Fuesting has observed that only a small portion attend his “Coffee with the Commander” events. Fuesting with St. Louis County police is commander of the Jennings Police Department.
Back in 2011, the Jennings City Council voted to hire county police and dissolve its own department. Qualifying Jennings officers were hired by the county. Since then, Fuesting reports that crime is down and relations between police and the community have improved. Jennings is changing for the positive, he said. And one reason for that change is because of events like “Coffee with the Commander” – one of several Fuesting hosts.
Once a month, he and a few officers meet with a diverse group of residents and city officials for one-on-one and group dialogue. They meet early on Saturdays at the McDonalds located at Jennings Sta. Road. The most recent event was held on Saturday, Dec. 13.
“We have an open dialogue about what they think about their police department, what we can do better, and what we’re doing right,” he said. “Now more than ever is the time for us to come together and have serious discussions about what’s going on.”
For about an hour over a free cup of coffee, they discuss crime trends, hot spot policing, and address community concerns including those relating to recent events in nearby Ferguson. Former Jennings School Board Member David Green attended a recent town hall at Jennings High School where he heard “disturbing” youth accounts about their encounters with police and said he fears for his sons.
“We may have our own Michael Brown situation right here in Jennings,” Green said.
Brown, an unarmed teen, was shot and killed on Aug. 9 by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson.
Fuesting hopes more youth will attend his events. Most of those in attendance Saturday were older and more whites than blacks. A steady stream of young black men and women filed passed the group seated inside the lobby – none joined the group unless to wait for their food and leave.
One way Fuesting hopes to reel them in is through the fourth annual teen leadership academy beginning January 6 for youth in seventh grade through high school. For one night over the course of 12 weeks, youth will learn what it takes to work law enforcement. They will receive mentorship, gain leadership skills, take a field trip to the police academy, and investigate a mock car crash involving a drunk driver among other fun activities.
At the event, Fuesting spent a considerable amount of time recapping a meeting three St. Louis County police officers had with Jennings students and staff on Dec. 11. That day, about 80 students and 10 staff members including Jennings School District Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Anderson marched from Jennings Sr. High School to the city’s police department. Anderson said the march was one way to take the classroom civics lesson to the streets.
“One key thing that cannot be taken away from any of us is our education,” Anderson said. “The best way to honor Mike Brown and the memory of all of our youth violently killed is to get an education so you know how to make changes.”
At the police station, students presented a list of demands that included increasing the department’s minority hiring and body camera use by Nov. 2015. Fuesting said the department has taken a strong stance to increase its minority hiring, adding how crucial it is for officers to reflect the communities they serve.
Overall, Fuesting said minorities hold two of six supervisory roles and account for 20 percent of commissioned officers in Jennings. The number of African-American commissioned officers falls short, however, to 14.3 percent. Minorities account for nearly 13 percent of commissioned officers with the St. Louis County police department.
Fuesting said St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar plans to outfit goal all uniformed officers with body cameras, stating that the department is currently seeking out a vendor. He believes body cameras are a great tool and said he advocated for its use years ago, even when it was unpopular to do so.
Fuesting said he plans to meet with students within the District once a month – it’s an opportunity for students to voice their concerns. And he wants his officers patrolling the City of Jennings to do same.
“We’re going to break those barriers and build that trust,” he said.
Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil
