JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—Control of the future of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department took center stage at the Missouri State Capitol Wednesday as three bills calling for it to be returned to the control of a state-appointed board were among the first of the 2025 General Assembly to reach the hearing stage.

It's a topic that has been heard several times in recent years by the Republican supermajority in Jefferson City, but carries a new urgency this year as a new governor in Mike Kehoe has come out publicly in support of the idea after previous attempts fell short.

State voters approved a return to local control in 2012, and it took effect the following year.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and SLMPD Chief Robert Tracy came to the hearings armed with data they say is proof that local control is working--the city’s homicide count of 150 was the lowest since 2013, with overall crime statistics down 15% year over year. 

Critics, including one of the bill sponsors, State Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, have long questioned the accuracy of the crime reporting data, pointing to concerns raised by academic experts and others who have said they've been unable to replicate the city's data.

"Reliable data collection and reporting overseen by this new board will help restore faith in our crime statistics, giving us a clear picture of where we stand and where we need to go," Schroer testified Wednesday.

"You cannot drive down crime and have the successes that we're having right now if you're not reporting all the crimes, looking at patterns and trends," Tracy responded, insisting that his department is working through nationally-recognized standards for data reporting used by other cities.

Another Senate sponsor, Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, pointed to economic issues facing the St. Louis region, considered the state's economic engine. Those arguments continued in a House hearing Wednesday afternoon, where Brad Christ, R-St. Louis County, pointed to business losses in the city of St. Louis as well as a "demoralized, defunded police force."

"I don't think this is going to be the silver bullet that turns St. Louis into the safest place in America," Christ said. "It's not a crime plan but it will build a stronger foundation," he added, citing improved morale.

Tracy has acknowledged the department's staffing challenges. The city gave officers a pay raise in 2023 and on Tuesday announced an agreement that will give officers represented by the police officers association a 7% raise as part of a new collective bargaining agreement that also reduces the budgeted strength to 1,100 officers. 

The department currently stands at 896 commissioned officers, including 33 currently in the police academy. Tracy told reporters Wednesday that when the department reaches full strength he would look to boost the budgeted strength.

The debate over control of the department comes ahead of Gov. Kehoe's State of the State address next week where he's expected to continue to outline his vision for public safety in the state with the rollout of a program that would help departments statewide improve hiring and retention.