St. Louis' New Police Chief: Dan Isom

This Chief gets it. Chief Isom is the first Chief of the St. Louis Police Department in my life time who seems to be actively engaged and earnestly interested in doing right by the community. The former Chief was a really good PR guy and made a good impression of being a fair concerned person but of course, we eventually discovered that he and his family were involved in various corrupt activities.

The web site for the department posts the mission statement and core values of the department as follows:

Mission Statement

The mission of the Metropolitan Police Department is to protect, serve and assist citizens when conditions arise that may affect the well being of the individual or the community. Cooperating with others in the community, police will work to prevent and detect crime, protect life and property, and achieve a peaceful society, free from the fear of crime and disorder. Members of the department will strive continually for excellence and maintain the peace through service, integrity, leadership and fair treatment to all.

Core Values

Service, Integrity, Leadership, and Fair Treatment to All

This new Chief has made some very real effort to reach out to the community and to remold the department into a more acceptable and positive force within the community. We should all pay attention to what's going on under his command and participate in the efforts he's making to deal with crime. St. Louis city has proven itself to have many crime issues but it's a community well worth saving and not running from. St. Louis city has some of the best real-estate in the metropolitan area as evidenced by the many contractors who are making it their business to get their hands on the valuable brick. Houses are no longer made with brick because it is too expensive. Brick houses are expensive for a reason - they are stronger and last longer. The inner city of St. Louis is almost entirely brick or stone. Since the inner city became a primarily Black community, property owners have neglected their properties and from time to time, efforts are launched to relocate the current city population to further out places to make the city properties again available for occupancy by "other" groups of people. Although many people have fled, thankfully, the mass majority of people are still here. One of the tactics employed to force evacuation was to neglect crime and another was to treat every city resident as criminals. Under this new Chief, and to a lessor degree, the former chief, such tactics have been killed. The heavy-handedness of police actions are slowly being changed under Chief Isom and it is about time! I for one look forward to the day when I don't have to fear the police more than I fear the drug dealer on the block because at least the drug dealer only bothers those who has dealing with him. Here's a bunch of stuff on the Chief and the department.

Here's a link to the Chief's Blog.

Here is a copy of the press release that announced Chief Isom's appointment:

METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT – CITY OF ST. LOUIS
NEWS RELEASE
PUBLIC INFORMATION DIVISION
1200 CLARK AVE.
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63103
(314) 444-5604
October 6, 2008
POLICE BOARD APPOINTS MAJOR DANIEL ISOM
NEW CHIEF OF POLICE
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Board of Police Commissioners today named
Major Daniel Isom, the city’s 33rd Chief of Police. Col. Isom, a 20-year veteran of the Department, had been Special Projects Assistant to the Chief of Police, responsible for the planning and implementation of all Department community-based initiatives.
“Col. Isom’s experience in the field of law enforcement and his life long dedication to this Department has prepared him for the position of Chief. The Board believes that in this new role, Col. Isom will continue to provide the level of leadership that the St. Louis resident’s have come to expect,” stated Col. Chris Goodson, President of the Board of Police Commissioners. “The Board has complete confidence and trust in him and he has the support of the entire Board.”
Col. Isom, 41, has served in numerous positions within the Police Department including Internal Affairs, the Police Academy, Juvenile, Mobile Reserve, South Patrol Detective Bureau and the Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth police districts.
Col. Isom holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice both from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from St. Louis University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Forum Senior Management Institute. He serves on the advisory boards for St. Louis University’s School of Public Service and New Beginnings C-Star Treatment Center. Col. Isom is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).

Here's the Chief's Bio:

BIOGRAPHY
Colonel Daniel Isom
Chief of Police
Metropolitan Police Department

Colonel Daniel Isom joined the Metropolitan Police Department on August 29, 1988. He was appointed Chief of Police on October 6, 2008. Colonel Isom is the city’s 33rd Chief of Police.

Colonel Isom has served in patrol, investigative, training and administrative assignments during his tenure on the police department. He was recently the Special Projects Assistant to the Chief of Police, responsible for the planning and implementation of all Department community-based initiatives.

After graduating from the police academy, he was assigned to the Eighth District, Mobile Reserve Unit and the St. Louis Police Academy.

In 1995, Colonel Isom was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. As a Sergeant he served in the Ninth District, Internal Affairs, Police Reserves, the St. Louis Police Academy and South Patrol Detective Bureau.

Colonel Isom was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1998. As a Lieutenant he was assigned to the Fourth and Ninth Districts, Internal Audit Unit, Juvenile Division and once again to the St. Louis Police Academy.

In 2002, Colonel Isom was promoted to the rank of Captain. In that role, he served as Commander of the St. Louis Police Academy, Sixth and Seventh Districts, as well as in the Internal Affairs Division.

Promoted to the rank of Major in 2007, Colonel Isom worked as the Special Projects Assistant to the Chief of Police a position he held until his promotion to Chief of Police.

Colonel Isom is an adjunct professor at Harris Stowe State University and an instructor at Forest Park Community College where he teaches criminal justice, criminology, and public safety courses.

He holds a Bachelor’s, Master’s and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in Criminology and Criminal Justice as well as a Masters in Public Administration from St. Louis University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Forum Senior Management Institute.

Colonel Isom is a progressive advocate for elevating the standards of professionalism for law enforcement and strengthening the relationship between the police and citizens. His policing philosophy is based on the founder of the modern police department, Sir Robert Peel, who stated almost 200 years ago, “The people are the police and the police are the people.”

Colonel Isom currently serves on the advisory boards for St. Louis University's School of Public Service and the New Beginnings C-Star Treatment Center. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). He is also the coordinator and a coach for the Police Athletic League Track and Field Team.
Colonel Isom, a lifelong St. Louis city resident, grew up in the Penrose neighborhood and attended St. Louis University High School. He and his wife Virginia have two children, Alexandria and Daniel.