May 22, 2013

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Law enforcement buckles down on drivers not buckling up (AUDIO)

May 16, 2013 By

Law enforcement officers throughout the state are buckling down on drivers who are not buckling up.

The Department of Transportation is urging motorists to click-it or get a ticket, as part of the national “Click It or Ticket” campaign on the importance of seatbelt safety, beginning May 20 through June 2.

Spokesman Bill Whitfield says drivers who choose to not wear their seatbelt could be cited with a $10 fine, or worse. “The consequence of being unbuckled if you are involved in a crash, is your chances of being severely injured or fatally injured increase,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield says statistically, males, pick-up truck drivers, and teenagers all tend to buckle up less frequently than those who drive cars, vans, or sport utility vehicles. “We know that if seatbelts are properly worn, and worn by all occupants in the vehicle will mitigate the chances of being severely injured or killed,” he said.

Whitfield explains why these groups in particular wear their seatbelts less frequently than others, here. (1:19)

Missouri’s seatbelt use is at 79%, below the national average of 86%.

For more information, visit www.saveMOlives.com

 

AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports. (1:00)

 

 

 

Filed Under: Featured, Law Enforcement, News, Transportation

Legislature moves to reign in big buys by Highway Patrol

May 16, 2013 By

The state legislature wants the state Highway Patrol to have to get its blessing before it makes any more big vehicle purchases.

Representative Diane Franklin (photo courtesy; Missouri House Communications)

Representative Diane Franklin (photo courtesy; Missouri House Communications)

The Patrol has a fund controlled by its superintendent that it can use to purchase cars, boats and planes. It used that fund in December to purchase a $5.6-million plane that Republicans suggest the Governor Jay Nixon told it to buy.

The General Assembly has sent the Governor a bill (SB 236) that would require the Patrol to get legislative approval to make purchases of any one vehicle that costs more than $100,000.

The House handler of the bill, Representative Diane Franklin (R-Camdenton) says it’s about fiscal responsibility.

“We want to be sure that we can demonstrate to the taxpayer of Missouri how money in excess of $100,000 is being spent.”

Representative Mike Colona (D-St. Louis City) says the legislation is about House Republicans disapproving of the purchase of that plane.

“We have a history this legislative session of throwing temper tantrums. We’re only going to find the [Department of Revenue Division of Motor Vehicles] for eight months because we’re throwing a temper tantrum. We don’t like what’s going on. We don’t like the fact that the Highway Patrol bought a plane … so we’re going to throw a temper tantrum and say, ‘No, no, no! You’re going to ask me before you spend any money, dang it.’”

The Patrol testified to a House Committee that it had no objection to the change.

The bill also requires that the Patrol pay for maintenance out of that fund rather than just purchases.

The proposal has gone to the Governor.

Filed Under: Featured, Law Enforcement, News Tagged With: , , ,

Missouri law enforcement officer deaths on the decline (AUDIO)

May 7, 2013 By

The number of Missouri law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty is on the decline.

President of the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police Kevin Ahlbrand says last year, there was only one officer killed in the line of duty, and this year there has been one killed to date. Ahlbrand says typically, Missouri has an average of three to five deaths per year.

He says since 1910, there has been at least one law enforcement officer killed in any given year, but the goal is to ultimately bring that number down to zero.

“This year, we’ve had one line-of-duty death and that was Detective Christopher Simpson from the Chesterfield Police Department,” he said. “He died in February and he died as a result of suffering a heart attack.”

He says officers getting the proper training proper training will also contribute to the reduction of on-duty casualties

“Driver training has pretty much become much more in the forefront of law enforcement in Missouri,” Ahlbrand said. “We’re hopeful and we think that has made a difference. As far as other training for other officers killed by suspects, training has ramped up in that area also.”

Right now, he said, Missouri ranks ninth nationwide in the total number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

In 2013, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Parsons was killed while serving. In December, Parsons was helping load a woman into an ambulance when witnesses say the woman’s son came out of the home and shot Parsons, killing him.

An annual ceremony at the Capitol over the weekend honored Parsons, adding him to the memorial on a wall for fallen law enforcement officers. The memorial is located on the north side of the Capitol, overlooking the Missouri River.

State officials and fellow law enforcement officers from throughout the state joined family members to pay respects.

Gov. Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster were among those who placed white carnations in a single wreath to honor all of those who have died while protecting and serving.

“It’s just a constant reminder of how dangerous it is out there on the streets and how dangerous it is for our folks in uniform,” Nixon said. “It’s a constant reminder each year of how we need to thank them for what they do.”

 

AUDIO: Mary Farucci reports. (1:00)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Featured, Law Enforcement, News

House passes law enforcement omnibus bill

April 26, 2013 By

The House has passed an omnibus public safety bill that would make a number of changes to law enforcement statutes.

The package includes several gun provisions that would bar medical providers from entering a patient’s gun ownership information into medical records if it isn’t related to the patient’s care or safety, prevent school faculty from asking a student about the gun ownership status of a parent, guardian or someone living with him or her and keep business owners from telling people not to keep guns in personal vehicles at their business.

It exempts crime scene photos and video from the state open records law with certain exceptions and repeals the expiration date of an exemption for plans for response to emergencies and terrorist attacks by law enforcement, public safety, first responders and public health officials.

It would allow for testing of patients that have potentially exposed health care providers to a contagious or infectious disease and for notification of health care workers when such a disease is diagnosed.

It also would enact so-called “right to work” language for law enforcement officers, and allow psychological stress to qualify a paid law enforcement officer for workers’ comp.

Finally it sets into law procedures for removal of an appointed chief law enforcement officer. The sponsor of that provision says it brings Missouri law into line with federal.

The package has been sent to the Senate.

See the legislation, HB 335.

Filed Under: Featured, Law Enforcement, News Tagged With: , ,

House passes surveillance drone ban critics call ‘overreaching’

April 5, 2013 By

The state House has narrowly passed legislation to keep the state of Missouri from surveilling its citizens using aircraft. 

Representative Casey Guernsey (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Casey Guernsey (photo courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Representative Casey Guernsey (R-Bethany) says his bill stems from concern he has over events in two neighboring states.

“The federal government in conjunction with the state government in Iowa and Nebraska actually engaged in surveillance that brought about 50 different actions against farmers in Iowa alone.”

Guernsey suggests the charges against those farmers might be unfounded.

“The problem is that people who are interpreting a lot of this data don’t know anything about farming. They don’t understand anything about growing crops, they don’t understand anything about keeping cattle and if they’re looking at some image on a farm from a screen and they have no ag background, they’re the ones who are going to be allowed to start policing agriculture or business or homes or residential codes or, you know, whatever? The Conservation Department?”

Some lawmakers who didn’t oppose the original intent of the bill said amendments added on the floor made it go too far. One added the words, “Manned aircraft,” to the key provisions.

Representative Jeff Roorda (D-Barnhardt), a former police officer, says that will impair law enforcement use of aircraft.

“This grounds the air division of every law enforcement agency in the state. Not just planes, not drones, it includes helicopters.”

Roorda says it also adds a right to privacy where none exists.

“You have a right to privacy, to be free from unreasonable searches in your person, your home, your papers and your affects, right? Not in an open field, not in the highways and byways of our state.”

Another amendment would prevent news media from using drones to conduct surveillance of private property or individuals.

The bill now goes to the Senate.

Filed Under: Featured, Law Enforcement, News Tagged With: , , ,
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