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U.S. NEWS Friday 20 September 2019
State sending troopers to

help fight St. Louis crime

By JIM SALTER olence in St. Louis County, also is on the rise. Parson's
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri too. St. Louis County has spokeswoman, Kelli Jones,
Gov. Mike Parson is send- recorded 37 homicides this said that while the gover-
ing highway patrol troopers year, one fewer than the nor has met with Kansas
and other state workers to same time a year ago. St. City officials to discuss the
St. Louis as part of an effort Louis County has reported crime problem there, he
to fight the surge of violent two child homicides so far has no plans for a similar
crime that has included the in 2019. action plan in Kansas City.
killings of more than a doz- The Rev. Darryl Gray, one House Minority Leader Crys-
en children in the region so of 15 faith leaders who met tal Quade of Springfield In this May 29, 2019 file photo, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson ad-
far this year. Thursday with Parson, said said Parson's plan "does dresses the media during a news conference in his Capitol of-
The Republican governor the group is encouraged nothing for Kansas City or fice in Jefferson City, Mo.
on Thursday announced that Parson understands rural areas affected by in- Associated Press
an action plan that takes the gravity of the violence, creases in gun-related sui-
effect Oct. 1. Parson said not only in Missouri but in cides and local violence." State law requires no per- ing $500,000 in a program
the total cost of the state's Kansas City, Springfield and Quade, in a statement, mit, and the law does not called "Cure Violence" that
commitment, including the other places. said the proposal fails to allow local jurisdictions to treats crime like a public
25 state employees who "I think he feels the urgen- address "Missouri's danger- impose stricter gun laws health crisis and another
will work in the St. Louis re- cy," Gray said. "He under- ously weak gun laws." than the state law. $1.5 million for violence
gion, is up to $4 million. stands that this is a crisis, St. Louis-area Democrats Krewson said at the news prevention efforts. St. Louis
"This is about targeting vio- not just for the black com- want the city of St. Louis to conference that the city County is pledging more
lent criminals and getting munity but for Missouri." be able to require permits also is spending more mon- officers to man the region's
them off the street," Parson Kansas City's homicide rate for concealed weapons. ey to fight crime, invest- MetroLink light rail system.q
said at a news conference
in St. Louis.
Troopers will patrol inter-
state highways and assist
with U.S. Marshals Service
and Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Ex-
plosives that focus on vio-
lent criminals. The state is
also providing investigators
to help with federal crime
cases and social workers to
assist crime victims. Parson
said his plan also includes
$2 million in state funds for
services to help crime vic-
tims.
The plan does not include
any change in gun laws,
something St. Louis Mayor
Lyda Krewson and other
Democrats have called for.
Parson said it would be up
to the Missouri Legislature
to change gun laws but
reiterated his staunch sup-
port for citizens' gun rights.
St. Louis has long had one
of the nation's highest mur-
der rates, and the 144 ho-
micides so far in 2019 are
on pace to top last year's
total of 186. Particularly
troubling this year is the fact
that 11 of the victims were
children , and two other
child deaths are still being
investigated as "suspicious."
All of the child victims and
the vast majority of adult
victims were black in a city
that's about evenly split be-
tween black and white resi-
dents.
Parson's plan addresses vi-