Sunday, Jul. 12, 2009

Chief likes Moody's leadership, management abilities

BELLEVILLE -- Sgt. John Moody, the city's new chief of investigations and the city's first African-American to serve in that position, has a knack for thinking like criminals.

"It's just a good thing he's on our side," Police Chief William Clay said. "He can think about what they would do, where they would go. He has an ability to capture that."

Even before 43-year-old Moody became a police officer, he nabbed a loaded gun from a group of teenagers in O'Fallon in 1992. He received a Citizen's Service Medal from that city for the action.

Ten years later, in 2002, while shopping at Walgreens at Frank Scott Parkway and North Belt West, he noticed someone acting suspiciously in the parking lot. He called police headquarters and found out the man was driving a stolen vehicle. He followed the man to the Schnucks next door, where the man approached an elderly woman putting her shopping cart away. Moody was able to take the man into custody before he could harm the woman.

"It could have been a robbery or a carjacking," he said.

Clay likes Moody's management and leadership capabilities. As a captain and day-shift commander with the Illinois Department of Corrections, where he worked before coming to the Belleville Police Department as a patrol officer in 1998, he supervised more than 80 people overseeing 600 inmates at the southwestern Illinois Correctional Center in East St. Louis.

"He's good at getting the most out of his people," Clay said.

Since joining Belleville, he also has worked with the gang unit.

Moody currently oversees the street crimes and juvenile units, the officer attached to the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force, and the officer attached to the St. Clair County Sheriff's Drug Tactical Unit.

Moody, who grew up in East St. Louis, replaced Maj. Roger Barfield, who retired as assistant chief and now manages the city's Health and Housing Department. Moody did not receive a pay raise.

Moody's promotion comes 14 years after the city settled a hiring discrimination lawsuit. He was one of a long list of people who received back pay as part of the settlement. Moody received $4,587.48.

Clay was the city's first African-American police officer in 1995; was the first black officer to make sergeant, lieutenant and captain; was the first black assistant chief from 2005-2007; and became the first black chief in 2007.

"It's good to see minorities in positions of authority and taking charge," Moody said, adding, "I really don't look at that when I'm doing my job."

He said he feels "privileged and honored" by his appointment by Clay.

"I like investigations," Moody said. "Looking into crime, trying to find the answers, trying to find the facts, trying to find the evidence that will clear up cases."