On Jan. 4, Chester presented Lt. Matthew Johnson, who leads UMBPD’s Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST), and Acting Deputy Chief Chad Ellis, with an acrylic painting of the department’s traditional patch, as a gesture of appreciation for its willingness to reach out to area youths. (UMBPD Chief Thomas Leone, MSL, was unable to attend.)
“I painted this for the police department out of appreciation for all their genuine efforts and success with caring, bonding, and teaching youth,” Chester explained. “They probably don’t even know it but being around them and being able to see some of the things they do and experience created transparency and vulnerability between me and officers. The painting was a thank you for them helping me understand their job and for them understanding me and for treating me as family.”