Missouri lawmakers have approved a bill that would give Gov. Mike Kehoe the power to appoint four voting members to a new St. Louis police board and significantly reduce the city’s control over its police force. The measure, which would make St. Louis one of the few major U.S. cities not managing their own police department, is seen as a way to prioritize public safety amidst rising homicides and power struggles.
The move has sparked controversy, with Democratic lawmakers arguing that the bill is a response to the city being led by an African-American female mayor, Tishaura Jones. Data suggests that whether the police force is under state or local control may not make much difference in terms of stemming homicides in St. Louis.
Similar takeovers of police departments have occurred in cities like Camden, New Jersey, and Paterson, New Jersey, with tensions between residents and police leading to state intervention. In Jackson, Mississippi, a state-run police department has expanded its territory in the majority-Black city.
The history of governor-appointed state board oversight of police departments in Missouri dates back to the Civil War, with Missouri voters approving a return to local control in 2013. St. Louis mayor Jones has condemned the proposal to restore state oversight as an “autocratic” power grab.
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