Last month, the governor announced he was calling lawmakers back to the State Capitol for an extraordinary legislative session focusing on violent crime. Over the past two weeks, my fellow senators and I worked on legislation designed to combat this epidemic in our state. Senate Bill 1 addresses the six issues outlined by the governor during his call for an extra session. The legislation creates a “Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund”, modifies hearsay evidence and eliminates the residency requirement for St. Louis police and public safety officers. Additionally, SB 1 modifies the offenses for which a juvenile can be tried as an adult and the offense of endangering the welfare of a child, as well as increases the penalty for individuals who knowingly sell a firearm to a child under 18 years of age without parental consent.
The “Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund” provides witnesses and their families housing and security while they are testifying in a trial. Unfortunately, I believe witnesses are often afraid to come forward with vital information that could help convict a suspect because they are being threatened or intimidated into staying silent. This is unacceptable. As a state, we must do everything we can to help these witnesses come forward and do the right thing, without fear of retribution or physical violence. Senate Bill 1 also allows certain witness statements to be admissible in court, even if the witness does not appear due to intimidation.
The legislation also lifts the residency requirements for St. Louis City police and public safety officers, as long as the officer lives within an hour of the city. Previously, the officer would have had to live in the city for seven years before they were eligible to move outside city limits. After a lengthy debate last Thursday, as a compromise, a sunset clause was added, meaning it will expire after three years unless extended by the General Assembly. According to the St. Louis City Metropolitan Police Department, they are short 142 officers. I cannot imagine how the department can be expected to adequately patrol and protect their communities with this shortage of officers. Removing the residency requirement will widen the pool of potential applicants, and I believe it could encourage even more individuals to apply to be a police officer.
The Missouri Senate passed SB 1 last week, and the Missouri House of Representatives is currently reviewing the legislation and could make changes to it. I believe SB 1 is a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing violent crime in our state, and I am thrilled we were able to address this important issue. I will continue to provide updates as we work toward solutions to this devastating epidemic.