Black police group says racism rampant in city police department

Kevin Killeen Reporting
An organization representing African American officers in the St. Louis police department accuses the new chief, who is also black, of failing to deal with a "culture of racism" in the department.

Ethical Society of Police President, officer Eddie Simmons, laid out his complaints at a news conference, which he says he was forced to hold because Chief Dan Isom has failed to meet with him in the past several weeks.

Among the allegations:

**A white colonel cursing a black officer during a public roll call for failing to wear a hat.

**White officers routinely referring to black officers by the "n" word, and claiming they don't want to ride with them.

**A white sgt telling a black officer that he "could train monkeys to burn up gas all night and ride around;" what he needed was 'intelligent" officers.

**Bloggers on a St. Louis police website referring to black officers as "monkeys."

**Black officers finding stuffed monkeys and bananas on their patrol cars.

Simmons says the problem is affecting job performance in a department of 1400, where 540 black officers are black.

"The morale among black officers is very low, "Simmons said, "We are the last in promotions. We are the last in moving around to the good jobs, transfers."

Simmons is calling for creation of an Equal Employment Opportunity office within the department, so that officers can file complaints without fear of reprisal. He also wants all race-related problems brought to the attention of the Police Board. And he wants a policy change in the Bureau of Internal Affairs, so that Simmons can file complaints on behalf of officers.

Chief Isom's Public Relations Division released a statement, disputing Simmon's claim that Isom has been unavailable and claiming that the Chief is working to ensure diversity and fairness on the department.

The statement claims that Isom and Simmons see each other at least once a month on a board they both sit on. (Simmons had complained that he's getting the buffer treatment from a Lt. who shields him from seeing the chief, whereas with Chief Mokwa, he says he used to walk in and sit down to talk.)

Isom's statement says the department outsources its EEO complaints to an outside investigator, to avoid fears of retaliation.

Isom's statement also mentions that the department recently formed a Diversity Council to address problems in the department.

Simmons says he's planning a series of town hall forums to better inform the public of allegations of racism against black officers in the department.