ST. LOUIS — Mayor Tishaura O. Jones on Thursday announced her appointment of Charles Coyle as the city’s public safety director.
The deputy fire chief has been interim director since mid-February, when Dan Isom stepped down to take a job at Ameren.
“Chief Coyle has spent his entire professional life working to keep ºüÀêÊÓƵans safe, and he understands how to navigate systems while also recognizing what levers to pull to make change happen,†Jones said during her announcement.
Coyle has been a firefighter in the city since 1978 and deputy chief since 2001.
“My journey has been paved with 45 years of deliberate service within the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Fire Department,†Coyle said. “Every day spent in the line of duty has only fostered my passion for safeguarding our communities, a commitment I carry into this new role.â€
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He will take over a department that oversees several agencies, including a police force that has a large number of officer and dispatcher vacancies and a jail plagued by overcrowding, inmate deaths and overdoses, in a city where the homicide rate is among the highest in the country.
Other departments overseen by public safety include police, excise, corrections, civilian oversight, building and emergency management.
Coyle talked Thursday about his accomplishments as interim director, including efforts to hire more 911 dispatchers.
“When we began this process, we were 50 dispatchers short,†he said. “Since the pay increases, we have hired 26 dispatcher who are in training right now.â€
He also highlighted using data-driven techniques in the police department to decrease crime, establishing the Office of Violence Prevention and improving conditions at the City Justice Center jail.
When Jones appointed Coyle as Isom’s replacement in January, she said her administration would begin a nationwide search for a permanent replacement. She said she expected the search to take about three to six months. She noted on Thursday her preferred candidate was “a lot closer to home.â€
The city has not had a permanent public safety director since March 2021, when former director Jimmie Edwards resigned. Edwards took up the position under former Mayor Lyda Krewson in November 2017.
Isom was named interim public safety director in April 2021, and he maintained the interim tag through the end of his tenure. He stepped down from the position Feb. 11.
Sgt. Donnell Walters, president of the Ethical Society of Police, said he’s curious to see how that will influence Coyle’s approach to uniting the police and fire departments, which he said have historically operated without much collaboration.
ESOP is an association that represents Black officers and advocates for equality in the community and local police departments.
“Of course, an African American getting the appointment is always a plus for a city such as ours,†he said. “We have such a diverse population. So we are always in support of that.â€
Coyle sued the city in 2007 for racial discrimination claiming he was passed over in favor of a white subordinate, current fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson, for the fire chief job. He was awarded $350,000 by a jury.
“I’m excited to keep working with Chief Coyle as he steps into this role permanently,†Jones said.