Missouri House signs-off on state takeover of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
Missouri House lawmakers approved a bill that would restructure St. Louis law enforcement. The Missouri House has approved a bill that would restructure St. Louis law enforcement, allowing for the return of control to the state for the first time since 2013. The bill, HB 1481, would create a citizen review board to include the mayor and four members appointed by the Governor. Many Republicans argue that St Louis is not adequately policing violent crime or property crime, and that it's time the state steps in. However, the FBI has cautioned against comparing cities due to the complexity of variables in comparison. Democratic leader Sen. John Rizzo, D-Independence, suggested that the department may just need more time before making such a change. The Senate has its own version of the bill, which hasn't seen much activity.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Joe McLean in
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Missouri House lawmakers approved a bill that would restructure St. Louis law enforcement.
If also passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor, control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department would return to the state for the first time since 2013.
Many Republicans contend the city is not adequately policing violent crime or property crime and that it’s time the state steps in.
“Of course, there are violent crimes to consider and homicides and other such things,” said state Rep. David Casteel, R-High Ridge. “But there’s also just basic quality of life crimes that are occurring on a regular basis that are creating a difficult and challenging environment for people to live in.”
Republicans cite FBI Unified Crime Report data showing when compared to other major U.S. cities, St. Louis has the third worst crime rate in the nation.
However, the FBI cautions against comparing cities in this way because of the amount of variables that would need to be considered from one city or county to the next.
The bill, HB 1481, would create a citizen review board to include the mayor and four members appointed by the Governor.
Kansas City is the only other major U.S. city with a state-run police department.
That’s more than the reported 158 homicides that took place in St. Louis the same year.
It represented a 21% decrease from the year prior in St. Louis.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where Democratic leader Sen. John Rizzo, D-Independence, said the department may just need more time before such a change is made.
“With the prosecutor over there not getting an opponent, there’s some good faith going on with him right now,” Rizzo said. “The chief again, I think… has been on the job for a short time but seems to be making some headway.”
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said senate support for the bill is unclear.
“It’s certainly not something, the best that I can tell, that the entirety of our caucus supports,” Rowden told reporters Thursday. “So, I’m sure it is a priority of some folks. I don’t know that I would call it a universal caucus priority.”
The Senate has its own version of this bill, which hasn’t seen much activity.