ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Adjusting his tie before another press interview in a series of sit-downs Friday, new St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory looked comfortable behind his new desk.
Perhaps because he has served in the office as the interim chief since August of 2021 and with the department in several roles for more than 40 years.
But his most recent days in his new job have not been easy.
Just last month Chief Kenneth Gregory buried an officer lost in the line of duty.
Then two more officers were shot in the city, two were in a crash, and five others were killed around the country in just the past two weeks.
"It's definitely a hard time and doing police work right now," said Gregory.
He said the men and women of his department press on, but their families worry.
"Their families see what's going on. And that's where they get their pressure from his families sitting back and seeing what's going on with police officers and this and this profession, that's the hardest part," he said.
Gregory said his message to his officers is the same as he used to comfort his family over the past four decades.
"I let my family know that over the years that, you know, that's what we depend on is a training that we get, you know, the experience that we get," he said.
"You can't sit back all day and think about the negative things that can happen in this department because if you did you'd worry yourself sick," said Gregory.
At the same time, the county's first Black chief has a mandate from his bosses to change his department - one that has dealt with accusations of racism and multi-million dollar payouts over discrimination.
"If you show me the initiative that you want to to make a change for yourself within this department I can guarantee you that you're going to have that opportunity to do so regardless of whatever it is that you might think it's holding you back," he said. "I'm not going to allow that to hold you back, whether it's your race or gender or whatever...that's not going to be tolerated under my command."
Gregory says his focus will be on policy changes and relationship building within his department and with the community.
He believes facilitated "courageous conversations" on hard issues around race under the previous chief were productive.
At a time when the department has 60 open positions for police officers, Gregory said it is hard to recruit. He wants to allow work experience in lieu of college credit to qualify potential candidates which he hopes will open up police work to some who can't afford college.
"I'm going to need all 1,300 of us to make the changes that are needed for this department," he said. "I always thought this was a great department. I still think it's a great department. I still think that we can be a better department."