Black Ex-Police Chief May Become Missouri’s Top Cop

By Carla Murphy Aug 28, 2014

Governor Jay Nixon has nominated an African-American ex-police chief to direct the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the top law enforcement post in the state. Daniel Isom’s nomination comes amidst heavy criticism of Nixon’s response to Ferguson protests, and it’s been interpreted by some as the governor’s attempt to appease blacks in his state. If confirmed, Isom would be the only African-American in Nixon’s cabinet and the second high profile African-American law enforcement officer tapped by Nixon in the aftermath of Michael Brown’s killing by a white police officer.

Isom spent 24 years with the St. Louis police, four as chief. He retired two years ago to become a professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The head of DPS oversees the Highway Patrol, the National Guard, the Office of Homeland Security and other statewide law enforcement agencies.

(h/t The New York Times)