Rev. Starsky Wilson, co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, and about 10 representatives from activist groups occupied Mayor Francis G. Slay’s office at about 10 a.m. today (Nov. 2), demanding to know why he did not attend a Sunday community meeting to discuss the Ferguson Commission’s recommendations.
At 11 a.m. when the St. Louis American attempted to enter Slay’s office, the security guard said it was on “lock down,” and the group was still meeting with the mayor’s staff.
“We told them of the impact of what happened yesterday,” said Wilson, in a press conference front of City Hall after he came out of Slay’s office. “We responded to the call that was given to us as community over a year ago to come from the streets inside to meet at the policy table.”
More than a thousand people – including clergy, students, lawyers and school leaders – met on Sunday at Saint Louis University to “prioritize” the commission’s almost 200 calls to action.
Slay, County Executive Steve Stenger, Police chiefs Sam Dotson and John Belmar, Attorney General Chris Koster, County Judge Maura McShane and Frank Vatterott (who is heading up the committee for county court reform) were among those invited to the “people’s table” to give updates on what they were going to do to move the region forward after the commission’s report. But at the “last minute,” all of them sent decline letters or cancelled, organizers said. They invited 56 police chiefs – three of them originally said “yes” but none of them came.
“The failure of democracy didn’t begin on August 9 but it’s been continued,” said Montague Simmons of the Organization for Black Struggle at the press conference. “And it’s been sharply felt as of yesterday.”
However, many regional leaders did show up to give updates – including Civic Progress Executive Director Tom Irwin, Regional Chamber President and CEO Joe Reagan, and several superintendents and elected officials.
In a statement, Slay’s office told the American that the mayor had an obligation and “made that clear to the organizers that he was unable to attend.” However, he sent his chief of staff, Mary Ellen Ponder, and his director of strategic policy initiatives and community partnerships to the event.
The Nov. 1 event organizer Jessica Wernli, of Metropolitan Congregations United, said that Slay never told anyone he was sending Ponder or any of his staff. During the event, someone saw that Ponder was tweeting from the meeting.
“That’s the first that I knew she was in the room,” Wernli said. “She didn’t pull anyone aside and say, ‘I’d like to make statement.’”
She also didn’t stand up to let the public know she was there, as representatives from other elected officials’ offices did. When the group met with mayor’s staff today, they explained that said they needed the mayor there himself.
“He’s the one who can make the commitment we are looking for,” she said.
Wilson said that during the meeting today, they reinforced three commitments that they are looking for Slay to make. First, they need his support in strengthening the civilian oversight bill to make sure it includes subpoena power, as recommended by the Ferguson Commission, Wilson said.
They are asking for the city’s public endorsement of a fair and impartial policing act. They also want the mayor to “deploy the lobbyists that we pay as the citizens of the city to make sure that it gets passed in Jefferson City,” Wilson said.
And they are asking the mayor and police chief to work towards consolidation of police training, “so that we standardize policing and that your zip code does not determine the quality of public safety you get,” he said.
There was more than one seat vacant at the table, he said, and they are looking to give Stenger, Koster, Belmar and Dotson another opportunity to attend a meeting on Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. The mayor confirmed that he will be there.
“We will take your RSVP at any time,” Wilson said of the other officials. “We have met with you. You know the issues we want you to respond to that have been identified and prioritized by members of this community around the table.”
During the press conference, Wilson and the group put up a table in front of City Hall, illustrating that they will bring the table to them if they don’t come to the table.
Wilson said, “It is our hope that we don’t have to carry this table around too long.”
Follow this reporter on Twitter @rebeccarivas.
