1. United States
2. Mo.
3. Letter

I strongly oppose the proposals in HB 495 and SB 52 to give the state control over the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and broaden the definition of rioting. These misguided measures undermine local control, go against the will of Missouri voters who overwhelmingly supported keeping SLMPD under City management in 2012, and threaten the constitutional rights of peaceful protestors. The data shows no justification for a state takeover of SLMPD. Crime rates in St. Louis have been steadily decreasing, with homicides down 21% and overall crime down 15% in 2024 compared to 2022. In contrast, state-controlled Kansas City has seen stubbornly high violent crime. Moreover, St. Louis is not defunding police but has increased spending on public safety year over year. Expanding the rioting definition to remove requirements of force, violence, or pre-agreement needlessly criminalizes acts of protest protected by the First Amendment. This lowers the threshold for peaceful demonstrators exercising free speech to be branded as felons. We should be fostering civic engagement, not stifling it with excessive penalties. Rather than doubling down on ineffective tough-on-crime policies, we should address the root causes of crime through proven methods like community violence intervention, youth programming, job training, affordable housing, and mental health/addiction services. Poverty and lack of opportunity breed conditions for illegal activity - the answer is investment in our communities, not overpolicing. I urge you to reject these harmful proposals that destabilize public safety, undermine democracy, and violate constitutional rights. Focus instead on evidence-based solutions that make all Missourians safer by lifting up struggling communities. The path forward lies in supporting local control and addressing poverty, not power grabs and criminalization.