Missouri took control of the St. Louis police department before the start of the Civil War to prevent the city from rising up against state leaders' plans to align the state with the Confederacy. The arrangement persisted until 2012, when 64% of Missouri voters approved an initiative petition returning police control to local leaders. This week, the state legislature is poised to reverse that vote, seize back control of the department and put it again in the hands of a board appointed by the governor, reports the Missouri Independent. The Missouri Senate could approve a state takeover bill as early as Monday. It would return to the House for a final vote to send it to Gov. Mike Kehoe, who says it is a key piece of his public safety agenda.
The move caps a push for state control that began after voters weighed in more than a decade ago, with Republicans arguing the return of the department to local hands was a failed experiment. State Sen. Nick Schroer, who sponsored the police bill, cited crime figures and population decline in St. Louis as the driving motivation behind the change. “We’re finally answering the call, finally backing the blue and not defunding it,” he said, adding: “It’s going to be a game changer when it comes to public safety and moving our state in the right direction.” Critics of the legislation cite a drop in violent crime in St. Louis under local leadership. They say Kansas City has fared no better despite being under state control since the 1930s. “Someone who doesn’t live in my district and wasn’t elected by the people of my district wants to take away control of the police department,” said state Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat. “Where were you when we had the highest crime we’ve ever had under 152 years of state control? The hypocrisy is real. St. Louis will join Kansas City as the only major cities with a police force under state control. The board running the department would consist of the mayor and five commissioners appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
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