ST. LOUIS — New St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy spent his Sunday morning at Central Baptist Church.
Tracy spoke to the congregation as everyone came together to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
5 On Your Side was at the service and spoke exclusively with Chief Tracy.
Chief Tracy told 5 On Your Side his first week on the job was a good and busy one.
He spent time meeting all of his officers and visiting with organizations across the city.
Chief Tracy believes being out and interacting with people is what builds trust.
"Any chance I can get to be out in the community to be seen, and to see people and get their concerns, right from the people, right away is the best way for me to learn," he said.
Inside Central Baptist Church in downtown St. Louis on Sunday, songs of praise and worship filled the sanctuary as a congregation gathered to celebrate a man who died for their rights and freedom.
"Each year, we have to take out some time to remember the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., so this weekend for us is that weekend to look back to reflect and give us our marching orders for the year that is ahead," Senior Pastor Anthony Riley said.
While Pastor Riley reflected on Martin Luther King's heroic acts, he also made time to introduce his congregation to St. Louis Police Department's new top cop.
"I want to ask now for our new police chief to stand," he said to the congregation.
SLMPD Chief Robert Tracy spent his Sunday morning meeting the people he vowed to keep safe, as he headed into his second week on the job.
"Everybody's been so gracious. It's overwhelming, the support, which we can take that and do good things with," he said.
A major focus for Chief Tracy is community engagement. He said hearing citizens' concerns and getting feedback is the best way for him to learn.
"Getting out is so important because you really see people as real people, and you have those conversations," he said.
According to Chief Tracy, he is pursuing those conversations with not only adults but also the youngest generation too.
"Young kids are the future. They have some of the best ideas," he said.
Pastor Riley said the chief engaging with kids is something that he thinks will help build trust.
"There's sometimes a stigma around law enforcement, even those of color," he said. "We want to make sure that our young people meet our police chief, know he's a real person and build a relationship there. It'll take time to build that trust and see the programs that he brings to our city."
Both Chief Tracy and Pastor Riley believe a relationship between the church and law enforcement can be a powerful partnership that impacts the city positively.
"Churches, faith-based communities, they're the anchor of the community," Chief Tracy said.
"The church comes to meet that need, to ensure people know who they are, to be blessed, to understand their purpose, why they're here and see the resources to be connected to at the end," Pastor Riley said.
While nothing will change overnight, Chief Tracy said he's humbled to take on this role in St. Louis.
"I will not let anyone down. I will work hard to make the city safer. I will work with everyone, and I just feel very fortunate to be in this position and I don't take any day for granted," he said.
Chief Tracy added that he plans to spend time out in the community. He said this isn't just something he's doing at the beginning, but it will be an ongoing priority for him.