With some police officers in the city committing misdeeds of their own, Chief Daniel Isom’s first 90 days atop the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department have found him fighting crime on and off the streets.
“It’s been extremely busy and filled with a lot of critical decisions on how to move the department forward,” said Isom, who recently completed a police board-mandated strategic plan.
While Isom tackled ethical, managerial and fiscal issues in his report, reducing gun-violence remains his chief priority.
“Protecting people and reducing violence in our community will be our primary focus,” Isom said recently at the 17th Annual Candlelight Vigil that remembered 167 people killed in the city last year.
“However, I realize that policing isn’t the only solution for our problems n education, jobs and programs for families and kids will help us to have long-term solutions to violence in our communities,” he said at the F.A.S.S. (Families Advocating Safe Streets) vigil.
While murders in the city rose by 31 in 2008 (with 167 homicides) compared to 2007 (with 136), the last quarter saw a drop under Isom’s watch.
The new chief credited programs like the Homicide Deterrence Initiative, which increased police presence in high-crime areas. Another crime deterrent was the Wells-Goodfellow Initiative, where cops listened to concerns of residents and attempted to oblige their crime prevention wishes. For example, two job fairs were held in the neighborhood.
“The long-term solution doesn’t rest with putting more people in jail n we need to take a more holistic approach, and I support any preventive effort,” Isom said.
He is currently working with the Board of Aldermen as it finalizes plans for community outreach and prevention with monies secured with the passing of Proposition S.
Isom’s approach to crime-fighting is in line with solutions detailed in a national study released Monday that says murders of and by youths aged 14-17 have risen significantly since 2000.
The report, written by Northeastern University criminal justice professors James Alan Fox and Marc Swatt, found that the number of homicides involving black male juveniles as victims rose by 31 percent and as perpetrators by 43 percent.
The report come the group’s white counterpart summating that 539 white and 851 black juveniles committed murder in 2000, according to analysis of federal data by the authors. In 2007, the number of whites, 547, had hardly changed, while that for blacks was 1,142, up 34 percent
The report blamed federal cuts to social and prevention programs by the Bush administration for the increase and urged the importance of restoring federal funds for prevention and control.
“We need to invest much more in the lives of these kids,” Fox told AP.
“I know there are lots of people who say times are tough and we don’t have the money, but we either pay for these programs now or pray for the victims later because crime doesn’t wait until the economy gets better,” he added.
The report said, however, that the surge in homicides for this group clearly falls far short of the high levels witnessed during the crack-related street-gang wars of the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
Isom said gangs aren’t what they used to be here in St. Louis and classified them more as young people banding together to commit crimes.
“I think there’s still a situation with gangs in St. Louis, but they are small and unorganized, the affiliations are loose and they really go block to block,” said Isom, who holds Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in criminal justice and a Master’s in Pubic Administration from Saint Louis University.
“A lot of times the disputes aren’t even centered around gangs or drugs,” Isom said. “But it’s mostly smaller groups of people tied by blocks or some kinds of friendship they might have.”
Whatever the case, part of Isom’s strategic plan is decentralizing the police department and putting more officers on the street, which he believes will reduce gun violence.
So far, he said, 60 officers have moved from the specialized units, administrative positions and other roles in the department to district level.
Isom said about 100 additional officers will be deployed in the streets in the next few months. Juvenile officers and gang unit officers will continue to use their expertise and training in those areas, but they will be at the district level for quick utilization.
Isom said, “More officers at the district level will allow for more street patrols and higher visibility, which both can assist in deterring crime.”
