Proposed law would make violence against police a hate crime

A new bill submitted to the Missouri House of Representatives would add certain offenses against law enforcement officers and first responders to the list of designated hate crimes.

Any offense committed against a law enforcement or first responder that is believed to be motivated by his or her profession could be prosecuted as a hate crime in the state of Missouri under the proposed law.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Marsha Haefner, R-St. Louis, said she was motivated to file the bill after the unrest in Ferguson in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown.

Haefner filed a similar bill in the 2016 legislative session, but it didn’t get traction in the General Assembly.

At least 61 law enforcement workers killed in the line of duty in 2016, many in ambushes.

“Now more than ever, we need to protect our law enforcement officers and first responders,” Haefner said.

The 99th General Assembly regular session begins Jan. 4.