violent crime Archives

Parson emphasizes violent crime and homicides during Kansas City visit (AUDIO)

July 20, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

(Audio is courtesy of Missourinet Kansas City television partner KMBC)

Saying that violent crime and homicides are escalating across Missouri, Governor Mike Parson traveled to Kansas City and Springfield on Monday afternoon to meet with local leaders and law enforcement officers about next week’s special session.

Law enforcement officers from across Missouri joined Governor Mike Parson at his special session call regarding violent crime on July 15, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The special session about violent crime starts Monday in Jefferson City.

“There’s no doubt with the homicide increases across the state, especially St. Louis, Kansas City, even Columbia and Springfield Missouri, across our state. It’s something we don’t want to be happening every day,” Parson tells Kansas City reporters.

The governor was joined in Kansas City by state lawmakers from both parties, who listened to his presentation. Parson was also joined by state Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Sandy Karsten and by Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith, who notes there was another homicide while the roundtable meeting was about to begin.

Kansas City has had 105 homicides in 2020, a 35 percent increase from last year. Chief Smith says there is a sense of urgency in Kansas City, and that action must be taken. The chief thanks the governor and state lawmakers for addressing the violent crime issue.

As for Governor Parson, he says witness protection and juvenile certification will be key parts of the upcoming special session. He also says eliminating the residency requirement for St. Louis Police officers is another key part of the call.

“One of the reasons since I’ve been governor that’s been an issue for the last two years since I’ve been there (as governor), they have run consistently about 150 to 200 officers down in their police department,” says Parson.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden testified in January that the residency requirement is the greatest challenge that his department has with recruitment and retention.

There have been at least 135 homicides in St. Louis this year.

DPS Director Karsten says witness protection is essential to reducing Missouri’s homicide rates.

“We need our communities’ help in solving the violent crime that we’re seeing. We need people to come forth as witnesses,” Karsten says.

A key part of the governor’s January State of the State Address was $1 million in funding for witness protection. Despite bipartisan support in both chambers, the measure did not pass this year.

Click here to watch the full Kansas City media briefing, courtesy of Missourinet Kansas City television partner KMBC.

State Reps. Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City, Richard Brown, D-Kansas City, Jerome Barnes, D-Raytown, and Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, were among the lawmakers who listened to the governor’s Kansas City presentation. They also participated in the roundtable discussion.

Representative Bland Manlove tells Missourinet that witness protection is a bipartisan issue. She also says that while she supports Governor Parson on the issue of witness protection, she would much rather see the special session address issues such as mental health, education and health care. She also notes that the Legislative Black Caucus requested a special session last year, about violent crime.

Governor Parson also traveled to Springfield on Monday, where he met with Police Chief Paul Williams, Springfield officers and Greene County Sheriff’s deputies. State lawmakers also joined the governor at the Springfield visit.

Springfield has had 15 homicides this year, and the “News-Leader” reports the city is on pace to break its previous yearly record of 16.

The governor will travel to northeast Missouri’s Hannibal on Tuesday afternoon to meet with leaders there about the special session.

Missouri’s governor wants special session on violent crime to be done as quickly as possible

July 19, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor will travel to Kansas City and to Springfield on Monday afternoon, to discuss the upcoming special session on violent crime.

Law enforcement officers from across Missouri joined Governor Mike Parson for his special session call about violent crime on July 15, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson (R) will be joined at both visits by state Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Sandy Karsten.

During Thursday’s Capitol media briefing in Jefferson City, Governor Parson said that he wants the upcoming special session to narrowly focus on violent crime, and wants it to be completed as quickly as possible.

“Hopefully they’re (state lawmakers) going to be prepared, they’re going to know exactly what the (special session) call is, and hopefully they’re going to be able to take up those bills as soon as possible,” Parson says.

The special session begins next Monday, July 27. The governor notes not every lawmaker will need to be in the Capitol each day. The bills will be heard in committee, before they head to the floors of the Missouri House and Senate.

Governor Parson tells Missourinet that the only reason he’s calling a special session is for violent crime and the homicide rates in the state.

There have been 133 homicides in St. Louis this year, while Kansas City has had 102, a 35 percent increase from last year. Springfield has had 15 homicides this year, and the “News-Leader” reports the city is on pace to break its previous yearly record of 16.

While Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Chairman State Rep. Steven Roberts, D-St. Louis, wants the governor to add police reform to the special session, Parson says that’s an issue that needs more time.

“But reform is not going to be something that’s going to be easily done in a short session. One, there’s a lot of things that’s going to to have to go a lot of work into that to see what that looks like, whether it’s in St. Louis, whether it’s in Kansas City or whether it’s statewide,” says Parson.

While Parson says police reform is an issue that needs to be discussed “at some point,” he says the best place to do that is during a regular legislative session, which gives more time for lengthy committee hearings.

Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith and Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams joined Governor Parson for his special session announcement on Wednesday in Jefferson City.

While witness protection will be a key part of the special session call, so will eliminating the residency requirement for St. Louis police officers. Another key provision includes juvenile certification.

Missouri’s governor to call special legislative session about violent crime (AUDIO)

July 6, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor confirms he plans to call a special session later this year, to address violent crime in the state. Governor Mike Parson (R) made his comments Monday at the Statehouse in Jefferson City, in response to a question from Missourinet.

Missouri Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe (right) applauds as Governor Mike Parson delivers his State of the State Address on January 15, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The governor says it’s a critical issue.

“I think I’ve talked to most of the mayors for weeks now, about the issue of crime,” Parson says.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is asking the governor to call a special session about crime, saying his city is at a “crisis point”. There have been at least 101 homicides in Kansas City this year, and the “Kansas City Star” reports 2020 is on pace to be the city’s deadliest year on record.

Across the state in St. Louis City, Missourinet contributor Jill Enders reports 24 people were shot over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, seven of them fatally. One of them was a four-year-old boy.

The governor says he had a good phone conversation this weekend with Kansas City’s mayor.

“We talked about some of the officer shootings they’ve had, more on the violent crime side,” says Parson. “I emphasized to him I thought through the legislative process last year we should have got some key elements done. He agreed that that should have been done.”

Mayor Lucas notes two Kansas City Police officers were shot last week. He also says criminals shot into an apartment building last week, killing a four-year-old sleeping inside.

Mayor Lucas wants to see funding increased for witness protection, and wants more tools for law enforcement to be able to interrupt conspiracies to commit murder.

It’s unclear when the special session will start.

One of the key proposals in Governor Parson’s January State of the State Address was about $1 million in funding for witness protection, in an effort to battle increasing violence in urban cities.

Despite bipartisan support in both chambers, the measure did not pass.

State Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, is a strong supporter of witness protection, telling Missourinet at the January State of the State that witnesses fear retribution.

“I hear law enforcement say that very thing that there are people that they know that know who these individuals are that are committing these crimes but they’re scared to death to come forward because they don’t want to be the next victim,” Basye said that day.

Mayor Lucas, Kansas City Police Chief Richard Smith, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, St. Louis Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards, Springfield Mayor Ken McClure, Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece and Columbia Police Chief Geoff Jones were special guests at the January State of the State Address.

There were 194 homicides in St. Louis and 148 in Kansas City in 2019.

Click here to listen to Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s response to Brian Hauswirth’s question about a special session on violent crime, and about the governor’s phone conversation this weekend with Kansas City’s Mayor: