The debate over who should control the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has flared once again as Missouri Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe expressed his intent to bring the department under state control during a press conference yesterday. However, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones is standing firm against the proposal. “Every year since I’ve been in office, St. Louis has seen a significant reduction in crime and homicides, and a state takeover threatens that progress,” Jones said, in a statement reported by
FOX 2 Now
.
Jones further cited the case of Kansas City’s police department, which saw its homicide rates soar to record highs in 2023 following a state takeover, to argue against such a measure. Kehoe’s push comes in the wake of his historic election as the first governor from St. Louis in about 100 years and appears to be an effort to urgently address crime. However, the mayor’s office was clear in dismissing the notion that reverting to state control would improve public safety. Conner Kerrigan, speaking for Mayor Jones’ office, told
KSDK News
, “If the point of state takeover is to make the city safer, that’s not what it does.”
At the heart of this debate lies a contention over efficacy and the due success of local governance. While Kehoe acknowledges the good work done by Chief Tracy and Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, he suggests a disconnect between city administrators and the business community’s concerns over crime, indicating a belief in the potential benefits of state oversight for local law enforcement. “They’re concerned about spending capital in downtown and considering again an additional redevelopment without the crime situation improving,” Kehoe noted in an interview with
KSDK News
.
Meanwhile, Chief Tracy has made it clear he does not support the idea of state control, pointing to improvements under his watch. “We’re trending about 17 less homicides than last year, which was a 10-year low. So the officers are getting the job done. We have about a 17% reduction in crime from last year, and it was a reduction from years past,” Tracy proclaimed in a statement that was reported by
KSDK News
. Across the city, statistics appear to support the argument against state intervention, with the National Incident-Based Reporting System reporting decreases in various crime categories, a trend heavily emphasized by Mayor Jones and her team in their advocacy to maintain local control. This month’s report shows a decrease in crimes against a person, property crimes, and crimes against society, as noted in a press release from the mayor’s office and shared by
First Alert 4
.
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