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Two anti-crime bills signed by Gov. Parson Monday

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed two bills into law yesterday following approval from the General Assembly during a special session on violent crime, one aiming to protect witnesses of crime and the other addressing residency requirements for public safety employees.

On Monday, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed two bills into law, House Bill 66 and House Bill 46.

The signing of these two bills follows recent approval from the General Assembly House Bill 66 during a special session on violent crime.

New law aims to protect witnesses of crime, creating a pretrial witness protection fund which allows law enforcement agencies to provide resources for the security of victims and witnesses and their immediate families, reports KY3 News in Springfield.

Now covered under House Bill 46, new law now allows police in St. Louis City to live outside city limits, a move which could help fill a significant officer shortage at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

“We have a serious problem with violent crime here in Missouri and we have seen it escalate even more in recent months,” Parson said. “HB 66 and HB 46 are valuable tools that will build on our efforts to combat violent crime, support law enforcement officers, and make our communities safer.”

Efforts behind the violent crime special sessions and new law in Missouri stem from an increase in violent crime rates this year, both sides of the state reporting numbers that put Kansas and St. Louis