Two points of interest concerning St. Louis’ new Chief of Police Dan Isom, popped up in the Dec. 4-10 American: The letter from community activist John Chasnoff and an article in the Political Eye.
Chasnoff questions the dismissal of the police department’s EEOC specialist, Lynda Anderson. Chasnoff contends that axing of the EEOC specialist position, which he says is a critical “avenue for redress of grievances,” may be nothing more than police management sweeping under their very lumpy rug another perceived problem area with regard to public relations.
Isom explained that only seven EEOC complaints had been received in a two year period, and seven were too few to warrant a fulltime EEOC specialist. Further, that EEOC complaints would henceforth be handled by a human resources generalist who would take the complaint, then turn it over to an objective, independent contractor for investigation.
If police management intended to retain the framework of their EEOC complaint process, why was a competent, well-educated employee with five years experience with the department and its EEOC process summarily dismissed in favor of turning over her key position to an inexperienced HR generalist? Will the “objective, independent contractor” really be such, or will he/she be just another political hack beholding to the powers-that-be?
Michael K. Broughton
St. Louis