By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
New St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster is keeping busy, extremely busy, especially getting out and meeting members of the community.
“I probably didn’t expect the demand on my time to be as heavy as it is right now,” Luster tells host Barry Birr during his first visit to the KFEQ Hotline. “I know that will equalize at some point, but all those aspects are important to me, that I’m serving, there for the members of the department, but I’m also there for the community as well. I want to set that tone early.”
Luster says those meet-and-greets will develop into something more than mere social gatherings. Luster says it is important that the police department’s strategic objectives reflect the concerns of the community.
“How do those line up with the values of the community and what the community wants from us,” Luster says. “So that’s stuff I really will be focusing on looking at, is making sure those at least coincide with each other and overlap some.”
Luster has been on the job for a little less than a month.
Luster comes to St. Joseph after spending 26 years on the Kansas City police force, where he served as the commander of a patrol division, a job Luster says compares favorably with the role of a police chief.
Luster says the police department will work to address crimes that arise on a day-by-day basis, but will also work on preventative measures. The new chief hasn’t had time yet to pore over statistics to fully grasp St. Joseph crime, but says a key to reducing crime in the long run is connecting with young people.
“In my eyes as a police chief, who has a tremendous responsibility for the safety of this community, I think part of my strategy to any violent crime reduction that I think is key is engagement with our youth,” according to Luster.
Luster says St. Joseph does that through various mentorship programs.
“I think ultimately that’s where you reap the rewards from any initiative to reduce crime,” Luster says. “You’ve got to deal with what’s going on right now, but you want to set the city up for success in the future and I think that’s really one of the keys.”
Luster succeeds Chief Chris Connally, who retired.