ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill that would establishes a new Board of Police Commissioners to oversee the St. Louis Police Department.
The bill, House Bill 495, was a part of a larger bill aimed at addressing crime, policing, and penalties for various offenses across the state of Missouri.
The bill was sponsored by State Rep. Brad Christ, a Republican who represents District 96 in St. Louis County.
"The truth is this: since the boards changed, the city has lost nearly 40,000 residents—a 13% decline. Over 500 businesses have left since 2019. More than a thousand officers have walked away," said Rep. Christ in a statement.
"The patrol budget has been slashed by tens of millions. Investors won’t commit. These are the indisputable facts that speak louder than any manipulated crime stat."
The bill passed the House with a vote of 106-47 and now heads to the Missouri Senate for further review.
If the bill passes the senate and Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, the board will consist of four local citizen commissioners, along with the Mayor of St. Louis, providing direct authority over the city’s police force.
Gov. Kehoe has openly pushed for the state to retake control of SLMPD, something that has not happened since 2012, when Missouri voters approved giving the City of St. Louis control of its police department.
Kehoe, in a statement, applauded the passage saying it's "a major step forward for law enforcement and fostering accountability and safety in Missouri communities".
However, both St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones have both openly expressed opposition to it.
Mayor Jones was a guest on 'The Chris and Amy Show' in January, and reminded Kehoe who hired current St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Tracy.
"I want to remind (Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe) on who hired the police chief: I did. I want to know who the current status quo is," said Mayor Jones. "A 42% reduction in homicides, 24% reduction in overall violent crime, billions of dollars of investment in our city over last four year and into the foreseeable future is not status quo."
There are also additional measures in the bill which would also include law enforcement agencies being required to report the immigration status of criminal offenders to the state, and tougher penalties for crimes like burglary and organized retail theft.