Missouri Governor signs bill to put St. Louis police under state control instead of local officials | Law Enforcement Today

JEFFERSON CITY, MO - On Wednesday, March 26th, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed a bill that puts the St. Louis Police Department (SLPD) back to being governed by a state board instead of local officials.

According to the Missouri Independent, the change reverses a statewide vote from 2012 that put the board under local control. However, supporters of the newly passed bill state that putting SLPD back under state control is needed because of the high crime rates in the state's second largest city.

When asked what would happen if crime does not decrease under the new bill, Kehoe said that no bill, on its own, will reduce crime. He said, "You can't legislate lower crime, but what you can do is give law enforcement the tools it takes." The bill restores the governing system that controlled the department from 1861 until the 2012 vote.

With the passing of this bill, SLPD joins Kansas City as the only major metropolitan police force in the country under control of a state board rather than local officials. 

The Board of Police Commission will have six members — the mayor of St. Louis and five people appointed by the governor and subject to the state Senate confirmation. The bill directs Kehoe to name an interim director of the department within 30 days and the give commissioners within 90 days.

The bill passed on party-line votes in the House and Senate, with Democrats opposing the move with arguments that it was racist because black Democrats hold the major offices in St. Louis and unneeded because crime was decreasing. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a statement, "State takeover is not based in reality, and only shows that Gov. Kehoe and the legislature are willing to throw out facts, reason, and the will of the people in order to give the safety of our city away to special interests."

Jones said that crime continues to decrease in St. Louis and that targeted violence prevention programs have reduced homicides by more than half in 2024 compared to 2023. Jones added, "From the very beginning, this bill has been a sham, and the governor's signature represents nothing but disrespect from every Missouri voter who supported local control."

Senate Democrats filibustered the bill, winning additions of provisions banning the shackling of pregnant inmates, establishing a fund for exonerated inmates to receive restitution from the state, and limiting what jails and prisons can charge inmates for phone calls. 

Republicans agreed to remove a provision that broadened the definition of rioting. The bill also requires Missouri law enforcement agencies to report the immigration status of suspected criminal offenders to the state's Department of Public Safety. It also expands the definition of a "dangerous felony," which are crimes that require offenders to serve 85% of their sentence before parole, to include the offense of first-degree child endangerment and adds having fentanyl in the presence of a minor to the list of actions that endanger a child.

The St. Louis University/YouGov.poll, which surveyed 900 likely votes in late February, found that 47% of voters supported local control of St. Louis police, 39% preferred state controle, and 14% stated they were not sure. Other provisions in the bill were more popular. The poll showed 68% of voters support requiring law enforcement agencies to report criminal offenders' citizenship status, while 87% said they support tougher felonies for possession of fentanyl in the presence of children.

State Rep. Brad Christ, a St. Louis County Republican, said the measure will reassure businesses and residents who have been leaving St. Louis that they city will get better. He said, "I truly believe it's the beginning of the ascent of St. Louis, and what it was and what it could become."

Kristin Bowen, leader of the Missouri chapter of Moms Demand Action said that the bill is a "power-grab" that will not make the city safer, adding, "Gov. Kehoe's decision to strip St. Louis of its ability to control its own police force is a dangerous and shameless political stunt, driven by extremist Republican lawmakers hellbent on undermining communities they have no interest in protecting. This move is as cowardly as it is destructive."