Police Chief Sam Dotson’s remarks on Ferguson

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson, above middle, was a last-minute and extremely welcomed replacement for Congressman Lacy Clay, who was the scheduled speaker for the meeting of the 28th Ward Democratic Club Meeting held Thursday night at Dressel's. Alderman Lyda Krewson got word early that morning that Congressman Clay's plans had changed and he was not able to leave Washington. The focus of the evening was Ferguson.

Lyda's introductory remarks included her hope that St. Louis would serve as an example to the nation and the world on how to focus the energy and anger resulting from the tragedy of August 9th and turn it into something positive. There is so much good that can come out of this narrative, she said.

Dressel's was packed with CWEnders anxious to  hear what the chief had to say about the anticipated reaction to the Grand Jury decision regarding Officer Darren Wilson and the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson 3 months ago. There is lots that Chief Dotson said that I missed as I made notes, so if anyone who was in attendance wants to expand on my observations, please hit the comment button at the end of this post and reply.

A synopsis of Chief Dotson's remarks:

1. The news media wants St. Louis to fall on its face. It has done a great job "frothing up fear." Headlines such as "St. Louis Prepares for War" (a backdrop on one of the news programs the chief was on recently) have had a stressful effect on police officers and their families. Officers are now working 12 hour shifts, with no days off or vacation days. When you see a police officer in the neighborhood be sure to thank him or her for their service to the community.

2. Since August we have experienced the longest act of civil disobedience in U. S. history. However, not one person has been killed in protests here, whereas during the Rodney King riots in L.A. 100 people lost their lives; and 30 died in Cincinnati during the 2001 riots in that city.

In Dotson's opinion, the events in Ferguson have caused police to get better at the job; however they are now "a little timid" because they don't want to become the next Darren Wilson. At the same time, criminals are feeling empowered and there is an uptick in crime as a result. However, he noted that in August crime was down 12%, and currently it is down 7.8% for the year.

The chief also said that he thinks the police department should be increased by 150 to 200 officers, which he projected would cost $2M $10 to $12M annually (Lyda: thanks for providing the correct figure).

He advised that St. Louis City has received no tools or equipment from the military; they do have one armored car which is used to keep police officers safe in extreme circumstances.

3. The passage of Amendment 5, establishing the inalienable right to bear arms in the State of Missouri, has impacted St. Louis in many ways. This year alone 100 legally-owned guns have been stolen out of cars, even some unlocked!!! ( and yes, it has happened in our neighborhood!), parked at sporting events and in entertainment districts (The Grove, Washington Avenue downtown). There is an epidemic of gun possession. Many weapons that were purchased legally are now in the hands of criminals. The "open carry" law has also affected the way gun cases are tried. Chief Dotson is suing the State of Missouri over Amendment 5 (he got a huge round of applause when he said this).

He advised that protesters who carry guns in the City of St. Louis will be arrested, and said he will accept responsibility for whatever consequences may occur because of it.

4. The new Unified Command made up of Sam Dotson, John Belmar (St. Louis County Police) and Ron Jonhson of the Missouri Highway Patrol talk every day. The County Police department is now in charge of controlling events in Ferguson. The 3 leaders have built bridges with protesters by meeting with representatives of the "Hands Up Coalition" (which has 50 subgroups) daily and agreeing on many "rules of engagement" proposed by the protesters. He said 97% of the protesters fall into a "daytime" group which is committed to peaceful demonstrations. The other 3% he described as agitators whose focus is toward harming law enforcement and disrupting lives.

"Anonymous" has hacked into Unified Command computers and it now takes them hours each day to undo the damage that group has done. On a humorous note he told of one local police chief who apparently bought a donkey in Greece. On a more serious note: another lost $28,000 when his personal information was stolen.

Police radios were being hacked but are now encrypted.

5. The Missouri National Guard will never be on the front line with protesters. That is the role of police. The Guard will serve in the background to protect vulnerable businesses and institutions.

6. The most vulnerable areas are believed to be Ferguson and Clayton, with the City of St. Louis is a distant third. At the height of the protests, there were 2000 to 2100 people protesting in a 6-to 8-block area in Ferguson.

7. What can we expect in the CWE? You might see a humvee passing through the neighborhood, but it is not expected that the CWE will be a target. If a need for more police presence arises, Dotson assured the group that he has 250 officers that can be deployed in no time.

Based on conversations with protest organizations it is believed there are no plans to disrupt BJC. However, if there are protestors in that area, they will be removed immediately. The same plan is in place for the airport, which is owned by the City of St. Louis. If protestors were to block access to the airport over Thanksgiving, they will be removed.

Chief Dotson praised the work of Jim Whyte, head of the CWE Neighborhood Security Initiative, and Captain John Hayden, 5th District Commander, who is a resident of the CWE you have probably seen walking around the neighborhood.

8. Chief Dotson said he asked the Justice Department for guidance on how to handle social media. He was told he is in uncharted territory…"let us know how it turns out," he was told.

9. The Justice Department is conducting two civil rights inquiries into the events which are ongoing.