DELLWOOD, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov.-elect Eric Greitens vowed Monday violent protests such as those that happened in the Ferguson area after the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown would not happen during his administration as he announced two new public safety leaders.
Greitens named Drew Juden, director of public safety in Sikeston, as his director of public safety and Greg Favre, command staff officer for the St. Louis Fire Department, as deputy director, in an announcement made at Zisser Tire & Auto, a Dellwood business that was looted during protests over the August 2014 fatal shooting of the unarmed, black 18-year-old by a white police officer in Ferguson.
Juden, 59, who oversees the police and fire departments in Sikeston, is a former president of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association. He has worked in law enforcement for 39 years, the last 15 in Sikeston, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported . Favre is also an executive member of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force in St. Louis and has 17 years of experience in public safety. He previously took two years off from the St. Louis Fire Department to be Greitens' chief of staff at The Mission Continues, a nonprofit serving veterans that Greitens founded.
Greitens, a Republican, said the violence in Ferguson was a result of failed leadership from career politicians.
"If our leaders had shown up with command presence and courage and calm, compassion and clarity, we could have had peace by the second night," he said. "Instead businesses like Zisser Tire & Auto were put at risk, families were put at risk, a town was set on fire and our state was humiliated around the world. This won't happen on my watch."
He said his administration would provide training and equipment that law enforcement needs, establish a Blue Alert system to notify the public to any attack on law enforcement officers and bring the "full force of justice" to bear against anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer in Missouri. And he asked all Missouri residents to work together to bring safety and security to the state.
Juden also vowed that another Ferguson-like event would not happen while he led the Department of Public Safety. He said he would improve state law enforcement relationships with local public safety officers and residents across the state.
"You have lots of in-person meetings, you be proactive in your policing," Juden said. "Establish those community relationships, recognize everybody has skin in the game."
John and Christy Zisser, owners of the store, had been critical of Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's leadership during and after the Ferguson protests, including a sign out front that read "Epic Fail Jay Nixon. Epic Fail." Their store suffered about $150,000 in damage in August 2014. After they reopened with boarded windows, it was hit again that November.
The sign remained Monday, but Christy Zisser said, "We just need to move forward" after Greitens' announcement.
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