Kehoe signs six executive orders on first day in office
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Following an inauguration ceremony Monday, new Gov. Mike Kehoe signed six executive orders focusing on public safety.
Kehoe also officially launched his "Safer Missouri" public safety initiative.
"It's a really big day for Missouri and Missourians who want safer communities, and we've said for months that we were going to work very hard at putting this together and I just wanted to get some things moving as quickly as we could," Kehoe said.
Safer Missouri was developed with multiple law enforcement agencies and representatives from across the state to create a multi-phase plan that focuses on reducing crime, supporting law enforcement and community partnership.
The orders signed on Monday included:
Executive Order 25-02 puts “Operation Relentless Pursuit” into effect, a regional anti-crime effort. The operation will have an emphasis on intelligence-led policing and collaborations spanning multiple jurisdictions. The order will allow full-time investigators with the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control within each of the Highway Patrol’s nine troop divisions. The order will also allocate funds to support one new deputy sheriffs within each of the Highway Patrol's troops whose role will be dedicated to task force operations.
"It's a regional anti-crime effort that utilizes the existing resources of all law enforcement agencies to collectively pursue and apprehend the dangerous fugitives," Kehoe said.
Executive Order 25-03 launched the Blue Shield Program to recognize local government efforts in law enforcement and community safety. Under Blue Shield, law enforcement agencies can access more state grants.
Executive Order 25-04 allows the Director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety to designate specific troopers to go through immigration enforcement training.
Executive Order 25-05 puts the DPS and the Highway Patrol in charge of collecting the immigration status within the statewide unified crime data reporting system.
Executive Order 25-06 gives DPS command to modify the Highway Patrol’s salary schedule. The time of service required to reach the highest salary will drop from 15 years of service to 12 years of service.
Executive Order 25-07 puts the Department of Corrections and Parole in charge of assembling a group of stakeholders to assist with existing rules to further safeguard public safety while promoting successful reintegration
Kehoe designated a staff member in his office as the point of contact for law enforcement agencies and issues, serving as a liaison between field operations and state resources to assist law enforcement efforts.
Monday's executive orders were just a part of the Kehoe Administration's crime plan. The entirety of the crime package will be addressed during the State of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
