St. Louis County police secure a battered building (Source: USA Today)
FERGUSON, Mo.—Alliance Credit Union is crossing its fingers one more time, hoping that luck will hold out for its office here that again has remained unharmed following another night of rioters smashing windows, burning cars and buildings and destroying storefronts.
Violence in Ferguson heated up Monday night after a St. Louis County grand jury recommended that Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who is white, not face charges for the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown, who is black.
Alliance CU’s Human Resources Director, Frank Evans, said the credit union has remained fortunate, as so many other businesses have suffered damage. As local officials called for calm, overnight rioters burned two St. Louis County police cars and set fire to at least a dozen buildings, according to authorities. Intermittent gunfire was reported, as well. One officer was shot but not but seriously hurt. Police made 29 arrests.
Comparing Monday night’s violence near its Jennings, Mo. office here to the first round of protests in August, Evans said things were not as bad this time. In August, all around Alliance’s office here, businesses had broken windows, knocked-down doors, and one was burned to the ground.
“Last night there was not as much damage next to our branch as there has been,” said Evans, saying the rioting was more focused near the courthouse and also the police station. “The scene in front of our credit union was relatively quiet last night and this morning.”
The $215-million Alliance CU's Jennings, Mo., office touches the border of Ferguson and the city of Jennings, the point where on Aug. 9 police began their pursuit of Brown. That event sparked more than a month of protests and nighttime violence that had staff at Alliance CU worried about their community and their office.
“I talked to staff this morning, and everyone and their families are OK,” said Evans, who noted that Jennings’ employees have been reassigned to other locations Tuesday, with the CU Monday deciding to temporarily close the office out of concern for the safety of employees and members.
Evans explained that if the credit union had decided to open the office Tuesday, staff would not have been able to get to work. Police have barricaded a large section of Florissant Avenue, where the branch is located.
The decision to open tomorrow will first be based on whether police remove the barricades, explained Evans. Then, if staff have access, Alliance will determine if it is safe to come to work.
“If I had to make a call right now, I’d bet we are closed tomorrow,” Evans said.
St. Louis Community Credit Union, which has an office down the road from Alliance’s Jennings branch, closed all 11 of its offices Tuesday, according to a notice on its website. The website statement did not share a reason for the closings, saying only: “Community Credit Union is closed at this time. For additional service options, the Shared Branch network, Online Banking and ATMs remain available. Check back for updates.”
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