ST. LOUIS – Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe is set to sign legislation Wednesday that will transfer control of the St. Louis City Police Department back to the state.
Kehoe is set to officially sign the legislation Wednesday morning at 10:45 a.m. in Jefferson City. The legislation, part of a larger public safety bill, was passed by state lawmakers earlier this month despite opposition from St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and city Police Chief Robert Tracy.
Both the St. Louis Police Officers Association and the Ethical Society of Police have expressed support for the state takeover.
The bill establishes a six-member board to oversee the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Five of the members will be citizens appointed by the Governor, while the St. Louis Mayor will also serve on the board.
Four of the governor’s appointees will be voting members of the board and must live in St. Louis city. The other citizen appointee will be a nonvoting member who can live in the city or nearby. The Mayor will be a voting member of the commission as well.
The city police department was under state control from the Civil War until 2012, when voters passed a ballot measure transferring control to local authorities. However, officials, including Governor Kehoe, argued that the city of St. Louis would be in a better situation with the board running the police department.
The bill will establish a new governance structure for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Governor Kehoe’s signing of the bill marks a significant shift in the governance of the St. Louis police department, with immediate implications for local and state control.
All facts from this article were gathered by KTVI journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KTVI staff.