September 6, 2019
St. Charles County, Missouri – The St. Charles County Council will show its support of police in the region at Monday night’s council meeting by passing a resolution they hope will encourage other governing bodies and prosecutors to do the same. The resolution acknowledges that police are in high stress, highly technical jobs where everything they do is under public scrutiny.
“The world of policing has changed and continues to do so,” says Councilman Joe Brazil, District 2, who sponsored the resolution. “Citizens now can photograph and videotape every interaction they have with law enforcement and make it public. These interactions often are analyzed and dissected on social media and opinions are formed before the officer even has a chance to write a report.”
Brazil says the Council resolution is two-fold: to show support of the St. Charles County Police Department and all officers in the metropolitan area, and to urge others in the region to do the same. He says police officers must have the support of their community and elected leaders to do their job effectively.
“These are the men and women who keep us safe,” Brazil says. “They have to make split-second decisions that could save a life. If they feel like they are under a microscope, and that no one supports them, they are going to pull back. They are going to want to think longer about how to handle a situation because of the impact it could have on them personally. And that’s going to have a huge impact on safety.”
Once the resolution passes the Council, it will be distributed to the governing bodies of all municipalities and political subdivisions in the metropolitan area, requesting that similar resolutions be passed, Brazil says. “Our goal is that all law enforcement officers know that they are supported in their efforts to deliver quality public safety services to citizens and visitors to our region.”