The Ethical Society of Police has publicly called on St. Louis County Police Chief Mary Barton and other police officials to address the inequitable treatment and discriminaton against minority officers on the force.
A letter to Barton, dated Dec. 7, “reflects the frustration and emotional toll that years of inaction have taken,” Society officials wrote.The letter outlined 10 things the department should do in the next year to establish a more fair and equitable work environment for minority employees.
Those actions include things such as holding a series of town hall meetings, streamlining the reporting process when it comes to “acts intolerance” and hiring a full-time diversity and inclusion staff member.
Barton declined an interview request from The St. Louis American and instead issued a statement via email through the department’s media spokesperson.
“The leadership of this Department has and will continue to engage in conversations with stakeholders and incorporate viable suggestions,” Barton wrote.
“This includes, but is not limited to, the Ethical Society of Police, the St. Louis County Police Officers Association, and the Diversity and Inclusion Unit and Committee. Improvement is a shared effort and we will not stop until we have a workplace that is equitable and just for all.”
William E. Dailey Jr., the Society’s general counsel, said the group is still waiting for the department to address concerns presented to Barton almost six months ago, shortly after St. Louis County Executive Sam Page signed a memo of understanding with the Society, recognizing the organization as a local employee association.
“What the letter does is to memorialize things that have been discussed,”Dailey said. “It memorializes what those concerns were. And these weren’t new concerns. These were concerns that had been brought up to Chief Barton’s predecessor as well.”
Dailey confirmed that Barton and the other police officials who were sent the letter had not responded to ESOP.
“I have no idea why the leader of a police department in a community that is 25% African American would not be all over this issue,” he said. “I have no idea why she would not be proactive to address these concerns.”
The letter can be read in its entirety at bit.ly/3qZghH5.
St. Louis County Council
On Dec. 8, a day after the Society sent its letter to Barton, a majority of the St. Louis County Council members adopted a resolution that gives the Council the ability to block a collective bargaining agreement if the department and the St Louis County Police Association — the police union —do not agree to increased public oversight.
Councilwoman Lisa Clancy introduced the resolution and Councilwoman Rita Days said she and Councilwoman Rochelle Gray held a meeting with a member from ESOP before the Dec. 8 Council meeting.
“We have to do better, and I’m thinking a good place to start would be this collective bargaining agreement,” Days said. “This resolution makes a statement on how we want the interaction between law enforcement, Black officers and citizens, and the community as a whole. I do not agree with everything that is in this resolution.”
The resolution passed with votes along party lines with Democrats Clancy, Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway, Days and Gray voting in favor of the resolution and Republicans Councilman Tim Fitch, Councilman Ernie Trakas and Councilman Mark Harder voting against it.
Despite what may appear as a joint effort between the Council and the Society to address these issues, Dailey says that’s absolutely not the case.
“I can say unequivocally that the letter that was sent to Chief Barton was intended to be sent to Chief Barton and then published and publicized for those other entities,” he said.
“There was no — and again, I’m saying this unequivocally — there was no intent on the part of the Ethical Society to merge those efforts with anything that was talked about or that took place at the County Council [on Dec.8].”