In Missouri, controversy swirls around a city leader following allegations from a police union that she attempted to discuss officers’ compensation during a colleague’s funeral.
On Friday, Cara Spencer, St. Louis’s mayor, joined the memorial service for Officer Kevin Bradford, aged 27, who tragically ended his life on July 26.
Inside the Kutis Funeral Home, Spencer stood with Bradford’s grieving colleagues, relatives, and friends to honor the young officer, who had been anticipating the birth of his third child.
However, Martin Garcia, leader of the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association, claimed that during the solemn gathering, Spencer initiated an ‘informal survey’ regarding officers’ wages and job benefits.
Garcia, addressing the issue via social media on Monday, emphasized, “Our department recently mourned the loss of a young officer by suicide. This tragic and alarmingly frequent issue continues to plague those in law enforcement.”
‘Unfortunately, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer used the occasion to approach multiple young officers. These officers were there to grieve and remember their friend.
‘What began as casual conversation quickly became an informal survey about officer pay and benefits, eventually turning into a debate over whether pensions and benefits should be exchanged for higher pay. Read that, again. Yes, Mayor Spencer chose to debate grieving police officers at a funeral,’ Garcia wrote.
He went on to call her alleged behavior ‘callous, disrespectful, and beneath the person holding the position of Mayor.’
Kevin Bradford, an officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, died by suicide on July 26 at the age of 27
St Louis Mayor Cara Spencer attended Bradford’s funeral on Friday, where she asked his fellow officers about pay and benefits, Martin Garcia, the president of the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association (SLPOA), has claimed. She denied the allegation and said her conversation was taken out of context
Spencer has since stated that the claim that she had these discussions with grieving officers is ‘deeply and dangerously inaccurate.’
‘Last week our community lost a new police officer, a devastating new reality for his friends, family, and the department. I attended the funeral to share my condolences and to provide a proclamation to thank him for his brave service. I was honored to speak to three young men who recently graduated from academy with the officer and was grateful for the time they shared with me,’ Spencer said in a statement shared with the Daily Mail.
According to Spencer, during her conversation with the officers, the topic of ‘what motivated them to do this important and dangerous work’ came up.
She then appeared to admit she had a conversation about pay, but said the context was different from what the union shared.
‘Compensation is often part of motivation and I was grateful they shared their perspective on this matter, and humbled to hear that what motivates them most is doing excellent work,’ Spencer added.
Spencer said she has been left ‘saddened and disappointed’ after seeing the SLPOA’s statement, and accused the union of ‘mischaracterizing these conversations and using my presence at a funeral to instigate a false narrative.’
‘To say our conversation was a debate about benefits is deeply and dangerously inaccurate. I apologize to the friends and family of the deceased officer that his loss is now being talked about in this way,’ she concluded.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Tracy told the outlet that, like Garcia, he believes the conversation Spencer had was inappropriate.
Garcia called her alleged behavior ‘callous, disrespectful, and beneath the person holding the position of Mayor’
Countless officers attended Bradford’s funeral service on Friday. Each of them went up to his casket one-by-one before sitting in the front rows
The late officer has been remembered as a devoted cop, a ‘loving father ,’ and a ‘loyal friend.’ He was a father of two and was expecting his third child
‘A funeral should remain a sacred and solemn space to honor our officer and support his family and grieving colleagues. While I was not present for the conversations now being discussed, I have heard the concerns of our officers and take them seriously,’ he said.
‘A funeral is not the place for conversations about compensation and benefits. The only conversation that matters most right now is how we look out for one another—within our Department and throughout our community.’
Tracy also noted that he wants every officer and St. Louis resident to know ‘that help is available for those in crisis.’
The late officer has been remembered as a devoted cop, a ‘loving father,’ and a ‘loyal friend,’ according to a GoFundMe page.
It sadly added: ‘Most importantly, Kevin leaves behind two young children and a third child on the way.’
The Daily Mail approached Spencer, Garcia, and Tracy for comment.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifelong.org.