ST. LOUIS — After a 10 months-long nationwide search, St. Louis' new public safety director has been announced — and Mayor Tishaura Jones says she didn't have to look far.
Veteran Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Marshal Charles Coyle stepped in as interim public safety in January, after former interim director Dan Isom left for a position at Ameren.
Jones said she would begin a national search for a permanent hire for the position, which is a mayoral appointee. On Thursday, she announced Coyle was the man for the job.
All of the city's public safety divisions report to Coyle, including the police department, fire department, 911 center, jail as well as the Building Division and Excise Division.
Almost every one of those departments has been the source of harsh criticism before and during Jones' tenure.
The City Justice Center has taken center stage in recent weeks after three inmates died within a three-week time span -- bringing the total number of inmates who have died to 10 during Jones' administration.
Jones' office said it will comply with Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick's investigation into allegations of wrongdoing at the St. Louis City Justice Center, which now permanently falls under Coyle's watch.
Coyle said Thursday during a press conference announcing his appointment that city leaders have invested $18 million in upgrading the downtown facility to make it safer for inmates and employees there. Despite those changes, guards have been attacked at least four times in the past two months -- including one who was taken hostage for hours in August.
"We know we have dangerous people in there, but they still must be treated humanely," Coyle said. "We still must treat them with dignity as we have them."
Coyle said his department is now working on Jones' plan to create a Chief Medical Officer with a 10-member staff to work at the jail alongside a private vendor the city pays for medical care.
Coyle also said the 911 center is his "passion."
"We are in a full-court press when it comes to 911," Coyle said.
Numerous residents have complained -- and some say their loved ones have died -- while waiting on hold for 911 dispatchers to answer their calls for help. Coyle said the 911 center was short 50 dispatchers when he began as interim director earlier this year, and he has since hired 26 dispatchers since pay raises went into effect in August.
But, he says, getting dispatchers up to speed to operate on their own takes months.
"As we get them in, I anticipate that that wait time should improve greatly," he said.
Jones said Coyle has "dedicated his life to public safety."
"Chief Coyle has put 911 on a roadmap to improvement under his leadership," she said.
Coyle also highlighted several accomplishments the other departments he supervises have completed during his time at the helm, including a 75% clearance rate for homicide investigations and a reduction in the backlog of liquor licenses.