PR: Mayor appoints Roth Public Safety Director
The following is a press release:
—-
Bryson to serve as senior advisor on neighborhood affairs
St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay has appointed Eddie Roth as director of public safety for the City of St. Louis.
Roth, 53, came to city government in August 2011 to join the mayor’s staff as St. Louis’ chief performance officer. He was hired to implement recommendations made by IBM to reduce crime in St. Louis through improved coordination and communication in the City’s criminal justice system. IBM’s recommendations were part of St. Louis’ involvement, last year, in the company’s Smarter Cities Challenge program. St. Louis was the first city chosen, nationally, to participate in the program.
Mayor Slay seeks to accelerate the implementation process through Roth’s appointment as Public Safety Director.
“Eddie Roth’s experience as a Police Board president combined with his recent work to better coordinate the criminal justice system makes him ideally suited to serve as director of public safety during this important period in the City’s history,†said Mayor Slay.
Roth was a member of the Board of Police Commissioners from 1998 through 2001, serving as president in 2000-2001. He is a former editorial writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and before that practiced law for nearly 20 years. He is past president of the Shaw Neighborhood Improvement Association.
As public safety director, he will continue work as the city’s chief performance officer.
 “I look forward to working with the various arms of public safety in the City of St. Louis, including the Board of Alderman’s Public Safety Committee,†said Roth.
“As chairperson of the Public Safety Committee, I look forward to collaborating with Eddie Roth to increase safety and quality of life in the City of St. Louis,†said Alderman of the 27th Ward Greg Carter.
Roth succeeds Charles Bryson, who has served as public safety director for five years. Bryson will rejoin the mayor’s staff as a senior policy advisor with a focus on neighborhoods.
“Charles deserves praise and thanks for his service in the Department of Public Safety,†said Mayor Slay. “Charles’ experience in creating more and better neighborhood partnerships will be beneficial to our City.â€
 * * *
About the St. Louis Department of Public Safety:
The Department of Public Safety is the largest municipal government department in the City of St. Louis with more than 1,400 employees. The Divisions of the Department of Public Safety are:Â
- Building Division
- City Emergency Management Agency
- Corrections Division, which includes the City Justice Center and Medium Security Institution
- Excise Division (liquor control office)
- Fire Department, which includes the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services
- Neighborhood Stabilization Team, which includes Citizens’ Service Bureau
- Office of Special Events
The Department of Public Safety is responsible for:
- Code enforcement in the development of new construction and substantial rehabilitation
- Preventing use of unsafe buildings (monitoring unsafe buildings to prevent usage)
- Emergency management planning (and execution)
- Fire prevention and suppression (fire education and suppression)
- Emergency medical services
- Land use zoning
- Issuing permits for residential and commercial construction, business occupancy, the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages
- Management of correctional facilities (and inmates)
- Neighborhood safety, enrichment programs and citizen services (work order and complaint reporting system)
- Special events planning.
I don’t doubt Eddie Roth’s ability to step in and do just about any job. But I question why the Public Safety Director is responsible for so many departments. The most qualified person loses his effectiveness when spread too thin. With all the special mayoral assistants in Room 300 in City Hall, why don’t they spread out the responsibility so that oversight of individual departments can be improved? How many varied degrees would a person need to have behind his name to tune into all these departments: AIA; PE/SE; PE/ME; Hospital Administrator, Public Administrator,  Former Jailer (the list goes on and on).?
I don’t doubt Eddie Roth’s ability to step in and do just about any job. But I question why the Public Safety Director is responsible for so many departments. The most qualified person loses his effectiveness when spread too thin. With all the special mayoral assistants in Room 300 in City Hall, why don’t they spread out the responsibility so that oversight of individual departments can be improved? How many varied degrees would a person need to have behind his name to tune into all these departments: AIA; PE/SE; PE/ME; Hospital Administrator, Public Administrator, Former Jailer (the list goes on and on).?
While I agree conceptually, the same argument could be made about the mayor, our aldermen, our state legislators, the governor, corporate CEO’s, entreprenuers, etc, etc. The reality is that the men and women at the top are primarily responsible for managing a budget and being the public face of the institution. The day-to-day operation remains in the hands of the faceless managers who actually know (or should know) what they’re doing. The bigger question is do we even need a Public Safety Director, or could we flatten the pyramid, empower the individual debpartment heads, and deliver city services more effectively?
And, BTW, AIA is not a degree, it’s a professional organization. The more appropriate designation (consistent with your other ones) would be RA (registered architect), not AIA (American Institute of Architects).
While I agree conceptually, the same argument could be made about the mayor, our aldermen, our state legislators, the governor, corporate CEO’s, entreprenuers, etc, etc. The reality is that the men and women at the top are primarily responsible for managing a budget and being the public face of the institution. The day-to-day operation remains in the hands of the faceless managers who actually know (or should know) what they’re doing. The bigger question is do we even need a Public Safety Director, or could we flatten the pyramid, empower the individual debpartment heads, and deliver city services more effectively?
And, BTW, AIA is not a degree, it’s a professional organization. The more appropriate designation (consistent with your other ones) would be RA (registered architect), not AIA (American Institute of Architects).
@JZ71: You are so insightful and profound. Thank you so much.
@JZ71: You are so insightful and profound. Thank you so much.