St. Louis Police Department Transitions Back to State Oversight

Today marked a significant milestone for Governor Mike Kehoe as he celebrated a major policy victory by signing House Bill 495 into law, a key component of his broader crime reduction strategy. This legislation reinstates state control over the St. Louis Police Department, a move that aligns with Kehoe’s campaign commitment to enhancing public safety and restoring order within the city. 

The initiative, which he championed during his 2024 gubernatorial campaign, reflects his vision for effective law enforcement and aims to ensure that resources and oversight are adequately managed at the state level, ultimately fostering a more cohesive approach to crime prevention and response in St. Louis.

The history behind the State’s oversight of the St. Louis Police Department is a long one. Dating back to 1808, the department is one of the oldest in the United States and was less of a department and more a militia. Consisting of four men, the SLPD was established to protect the growing settlement of St. Louis. 

As time went on, the city grew and a larger force was needed to keep the peace. During the Civil War, the strategic importance of St. Louis was vital to both Union and Confederate forces. With Union forces ultimately controlling the city, the police department was brought under state control. 

For more than 150 years after that control, St. Louis’s Police Department had remained under state control until 2013 when a ballot initiative succeeded in handing control over to the local government. 

National and state perceptions of crime in St. Louis has been uniformly negative over time. Over the past few decades, St. Louis has consistently stayed in the top 10 of various lists ranking the most dangerous cities in the United States. In many lists, St. Louis has reached number one and stayed close to that spot over time. 

Although St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and other city officials have offered statistics that prove that violent crime has been trending down in the past decade and reports differ on their methodology and their credibility, the public perception of the city’s crime has yet to budge for many Missourians and Americans alike. 

By returning the SLPD back to state control, the legislation creates a six-member board to supervise the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, consisting of five citizens appointed by the Governor and the Mayor of St. Louis. 

Among the governor’s appointees, four will be voting members required to reside within the city, while the fifth appointee will serve as a nonvoting member and can live either in the city or nearby. 

The Mayor of St. Louis will also hold a voting position on the board.

In its final day of voting in the House, the bill also saw the addition of an emergency clause measure. This will mean that after signing it, Governor Kehoe will have 90 days to appoint the board members. 

HB 495 not only includes legislation for the creation of the board that will run the St. Louis PD but also includes increased penalties for the sex trafficking of minors, increased penalties for the distribution of fentanyl to minors, prohibition of stunt driving, and more. 

During the Democrat-led filibuster in the Senate, Senator Karla May and her colleagues managed to remove the rioting provision from the bill as well as increase the minimum funding from 22% to 25%. Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman also managed to attach an amendment that would remove shackles from pregnant female inmates. 

Earlier today, the Governor held the signing of the bill in his office in the Capitol. 

“It’s a big day for our office and our team with me today, but it’s a bigger day for Missouri citizens and a win for our law enforcement,” stated Governor Kehoe during the bill signing. “We want St. Louis and the entire region to thrive, it’s important for the rest of the state and we know that the ripple effect from this will make that happen.” 

The Governor was also joined by a slew of legislators, public safety officials, members of law enforcement, and Attorney General Andrew Bailey. 

“Like Governor Kehoe, I also have significant attachments to St. Louis,” said Representative Brad Chris, who was the bills handler in the House. “Today begins the ascent of St. Louis to becoming what it once was.” 

In the Senate, Senator Nick Schroer and Senator Travis Fitzwater led the charge on this bill. 

“There was a promise that we made to voters before coming into office this year that we were going to make this state safer for Missourians,” stated Senator Schroer. “Today with the signing of this bill, we are going to make good on that promise.” 

Senator Fitzwater also added, “The loss of population and businesses in St. Louis is not sustainable,” the Senator also thanked Senate Majority Floor Leader Tony Luetkemeyer for his hard work in passing this bill. “Behind the scenes, I don’t know if anyone carried more weight without getting enough credit than Senator Tony Luetkemeyer.” 

With St. Louis soon to be added to the list of state responsibilities, Attorney General Andrew Bailey noted that his team can be counted on to continue making Missouri safe. 

“I want to thank the Governor for his leadership and for making this a priority,” Bailey noted. “I am excited to welcome the St. Louis Police Department as our new clients for the law firm of the state of Missouri. You can count on us for consistent, quality, and competent  representation.” 

With the passage and signing of HB 495, the control of St. Louis’s police department is now on its way to finally being returned back to the state. The question now will be, can Governor Kehoe’s bold plan to tackle crime in St. Louis be successful? Only time will tell, but for now, the Governor has received a major win that could shape the future of the Show-Me State.