HCS#2HB495--PUBLICSAFETY
SPONSOR: Christ
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonCrimeandPublicSafetybyavoteof13to6.Voted
"DoPasswithHCS#2"bytheStandingCommitteeonLegislative
Reviewbyavoteof7to3.Voted"DoPass"bytheStanding
CommitteeonRules-Administrative byavoteof8to2.
SeetheSummarySheetforacomparisonoftheversionsofHB495.
ThefollowingisasummaryofthetestimonyfromtheStanding
CommitteeonLegislativeReviewcommitteehearingonFebruary6,
2025.ThetestimonywasbasedontheHCSHB495.
PROPONENTS: Thesponsortestifiedthathefiledtheintroduced
versionofthisbillonthefirstdayofprefiling. Sincethenhe
hasbeenworkingwiththeGovernor’sOfficeandtheAttorney
General’sOfficetomakethisintoamorecomprehensivecrimebill.
ThesponsorwentontodiscussproposedchangestotheHCS.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwasRepresentative Christ
Therewerenooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
StandingCommitteeonCrimeandPublicSafetycommitteehearingon
January22,2025.Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthiswouldputalocalboardin
placetotakecontrolofthepolicedepartmentinthecityofSt.
Louis.ItismarketedasStatecontrol,butthecommissionmembers
willbelocalcitizensaswellasthemayorofthecity.Thereare
reportsthatcrimeinthecityisdown,butthereissomeadjusting
ofthenumbers,suchasconsolidatingcrimesintoone,tomakeit
looklikecrimeisdown.Sincetheboardwasremoved,thecityhas
lostover40,000residents,andmanybusinessesandinvestorshave
lefttheareaandtheydonotwanttoinvestinthecity.Thereis
anargumentthatKansasCityhassimilarcrimestatisticsanditis
underthecontrolofaStateboard,butthatcityhasamuchlarger
populationthanthecityofSt.Louis.Localcontrolforthelast
11yearshasclearlyfailed.Facilitiesarecollapsing,officers
areleavingbecausetheyknowtheyareworkinginoneofthemost
dangerouscitiesinthecountry. Theboardwouldcreatestability
anduniformitywithinthecity.Itisreallyimportanttoincrease
thepenaltiesfortheoffenseofendangeringthewelfareofachild andforthedealinginfentanylandcarfentanil. TheMayorofSt.
Louishasfull-timeofficersguardingherandherson,andthatis
awasteoftaxpayerdollars,especiallywhenyouhearthatthere
aresometimestwoofficersinadistrictpershift.Many
businesses,likeradiostationsandnewsstations,haveleftthe
cityforthecounty.Almostall200+membersoftheethical
societyofpoliceareinsupportofStatecontrolofthepolice
department. The7%payincreasewenttotheofficerswhoarein
years1-20ofservice,butapersonwhohasbeenthere20yearsor
moregot2%.Thecivilianpersonnelofthepolicedepartmentdid
notgetaraise.Therehavebeengreatstridesmadetoincrease
thepayofofficersinthecitybutthereisstilla$12,000
differencebetweenthepayoftopofficersinthecityversusthe
topofficersinthecounty,andittakessevenyearslongertoget
thereinthecity.Thegoodthingaboutmovingthepolice
departmentbackunderthecontrolofaboardisitbringsthe
departmentbackundertheauspicesoftheAttorneyGeneral’soffice
andthelegalexpensefund.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Christ;Arnie
Dienoff;JaneDueker,St.LouisPoliceOfficersAssoc.,StlCounty
PoliceOfficersAssoc.&MoFop;ToddScott,MissouriAttorney
General'sOffice;ByronKeelin,FreedomPrincipleOfMo;
ChristopherSchoeman,St.LouisCountyPoliceAssociation;Jay
Schroeder,MissouriFop;StevePelton,MissouriSheriffsUnited;
DonnyWalters,EthicalSocietyOfPolice;JoeSteiger,St.Louis
PoliceOfficers'Association.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthislegislation
willnotmakeStLouissaferanditwillunderminetheeffortsthe
cityhasalreadybeenmaking.Crimeisdowninthecityandit’s
lowerthanpre-pandemicnumbers. Theclearanceratehasincreased
fromlessthan40%to70%.UnderStatecontrolin2006,St.Louis
wasthemostdangerouscityinthecountry. St.Louisisinthe
middleofarenaissance. TheMayorholdstownhallmeetingswith
thebusinessownerswhohavedecidedtolayrootsinthecityand,
asaresult,thesebusinesseshavedecidedtorenewtheirleases.
Thecityhasnottakenanymoneyawayfromthepolicedepartment.
Thecityholdseventsforyouthtohelpkeepthemawayfrom
violenceandcrimeandtoreducethechancesthattheywill
recidivate. Ifthepolicedepartmenthasaskedforadditional
funding,ithasreceivedit.ThecrimeinSt.Louisisdownbut
notacceptable. PointonepercentofthepopulationofSt.Louis
commitsmostofthecrime,andthedemographicis31-year-oldblack
males.Redflaglawswouldhelpdecreasecrimeinthecity,as
wouldlawsthatrequireaCCWtocarry.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereMaggieEdmondson,
AbortionActionMissouri;MayorTishauraO.Jones,CityOfSt. Louis;RobertJ.Tracy,SLMPD;JamesFigueroa-RobnettJr.,Missouri
NAACPConference;AdolphusPruitt,St.LouisCityNaacp;Precious
Jones,BreakingGenerationalPovertyFoundation.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsubmittedtheirtestimonyin
writing.
TestifyinginpersononthebillwasCharlesAndyArnold,Kansas
CityBoardOfPoliceCommissioners; KansasCityPoliceDepartment.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.