JEFFERSON CITY • Gov. Mike Parson said he wants to help the ºüÀêÊÓƵ region combat crime, but he’s not yet sold on whether to restart one crime-fighting initiative launched by his predecessor.
On his third full working day as Missouri’s new governor Wednesday, the Republican from Bolivar said he is unsure whether he’ll boost its presence on interstates running through the city.
Last year, at the direction of former Gov. Eric Greitens, troopers began working along portions of Interstates 55 and 70 in July with a goal of freeing up city police officers to patrol troubled neighborhoods.
The program was
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Although troopers issued thousands of tickets and arrested hundreds, there was no concrete way to determine the effect of the program. Homicides were up overall over 2016, but were down by about 9 percent during the pilot program period compared with the same period a year earlier. Assaults involving guns were up by about the same amount when comparing July through September 2017 to the same months in 2016.
“I need an opportunity to meet with the colonel of the Highway Patrol and meet with the mayors to figure out how we best do that,†said Parson, a former Polk County sheriff. “I’m sure there are other models out there. We’ve just got to figure out a solution to how we’re going to fight crime in Missouri.â€
His comments came before a meeting with ºüÀêÊÓƵ Mayor Lyda Krewson and ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Executive Steve Stenger — one of a series of sit-downs Parson has been doing since .
Parson said he wants to work with the duo to address crime issues.
“I’m going to talk about the crime issue across the state and how important that is for all Missourians. It’s not in isolated areas. It’s all of our problem,†Parson said. “My plan is to be able to give them the tools they need to get the job done.â€
Afterward, Krewson and Stenger said it was significant that they had a 40-minute meeting with Parson so early in his tenure.
“We talked about . We talked about safety in our schools. I think this meeting is the first of many. We identified key issues that our region is facing,†Stenger said.
“We talked about summer jobs for kids. We talked about after-school jobs. We talked about how important it is for folks and young people to get that feeling of a job well done,†Krewson said.
Greitens left office Friday after a five-month-long scandal enveloped his administration. The self-described outsider from his former veterans charity to raise money for his political campaign. The charge was later dropped in an agreement with the ºüÀêÊÓƵ circuit attorney that resulted in his resignation.
At the time, a separate House committee was compiling information that could have led to his impeachment and removal from office.
Krewson and Stenger described the meeting with Parson as warm and informative.
“This was different than meetings with the last governor,†Stenger said.
“I think that we’re going to have a really good working relationship with Gov. Parson,†Krewson said. “We share a lot of common concerns. I think he understands the importance of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ region to the economy of the state. As ºüÀêÊÓƵ does better, the whole state does better.â€
Parson, the former lieutenant governor, also met Wednesday with the state auditor and treasurer as he pushes to get up to speed on issues facing his fledgling administration.
Treasurer Eric Schmitt said he briefed the governor on the
“It’s the No. 1 threat to our triple A bond rating, so I’ve been focused on that,†Schmitt said.
Parson is scheduled to address a joint session of the House and Senate on Monday.