Police commissioner’s nephew arrested for DWI, released with phone call
St. Louis, MO
A St. Louis Police Board member, Vincent J. Bommarito, said today that a nephew who was arrested under suspicion of drunken driving in Soulard on Saturday was released to him at his request.Bommarito is a member of the five-person state panel that runs the police department, but he’s perhaps better known as the proprietor of Tony’s Restaurant, among the city’s top-shelf dining establishments.
In an interview at his office at the restaurant, Bommarito said he saw no problem with helping his family. He said he had been worried about the welfare of his nephew, Christopher Campo, 46, and called someone at the police station to have him released.
“I asked him if he could get my nephew out of jail,” Bommarito said. “I didn’t want this young man to spend the night in jail. I didn’t say nothin’ about fix anything, do this, do that. I just wanted to get him out of jail. I didn’t want this boy to spend the night in jail. I didn’t know I was doing wrong.”
Police, Bommarito said, dropped Campo off at the restaurant. Campo could not be reached for comment.
Bommarito said Campo appeared sober after he arrived at Tony’s downtown.
It’s unclear if police filed any formal charges against Campo. According to Bommarito, they decided against it after he was taken to the station.
“The fellow that made the arrest said, ‘After we think about it, look like he’s not drunk,” Bommarito said.
Said Bommarito: “Any uncle would do the same thing.”
He said he felt bad he had to make a phone call and couldn’t help Campo in person — Saturday was a busy night with Valentine’s Day the next day.
Bommarito added, “They’re making a big deal out of this.”
By “they” he means Chief Dan Isom, who wrote the board a letter expressing his concern. The Post-Dispatch asked the department this afternoon to immediately release the letter. The department said it would not immediately comply.
“We have three days to respond to that request and we haven’t made a decision,” said Danielle Eckrich, a paralegal for the department. “Our three days isn’t up yet.”
The board met in full in its regular monthly public meeting Wednesday — sandwiched between two closed-door sessions. The board did not discuss the situation in the open session.
Bommarito’s interference comes as a push in the legislature to dismantle the police board — and transfer the department’s reins to St. Louis City Hall — is gaining momentum.
In an arrangement dating to the Civil War, the department is governed by a panel of four commissioners appointed by the governor and the sitting mayor.
That setup has drawn fire as police department woes have piled up: a towing scandal that resulted in indictments, missing money from the police evidence locker and an internal investigation into the misuse of seized World Series tickets.
The Police Officers Association, which opposes any change in leadership, says a state-run department helps dissuade interference. The association’s Web site includes the message:
“The Board of Police Commissioners is an excellent way to keep politics and corruption out of law enforcement and because of this system, decisions are made in the best interest of the Police Department and the public, and not as a result of political deals.”