Governor Blunt Signs Legislation Supporting Local Law Enforcement

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

June 26, 2008

Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290


SPRINGFIELD  Gov. Matt Blunt today signed legislation to provide new resources to support deputy sheriffs and local law enforcement. The bill creates the Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplementation Fund, which will strengthen retention and recruitment through increased salaries for these critical positions.

"I want to commend all of Missouris law enforcement personnel for their service to their local communities and our state. Their work requires great courage and makes our state a safer place to live," Gov. Blunt said. "We understand that those who serve and protect us are not doing so for monetary gain. Our deputy sheriffs genuinely want to serve their fellow Missourians, and this legislation will help to ensure that they are adequately compensated for their service."

House Bill 2224, sponsored by Rep. Kenny Jones, establishes the Deputy Sheriff Salary Supplementation Fund to supplement the salaries of county deputy sheriffs. The fund will consist of money collected from a $10 increase in the fee charged by sheriffs for the service of any summons, writ, subpoena, or other order of the court in civil cases.

"I would like to thank Governor Blunt for his continued commitment to our law enforcement community as he signs this important piece of legislation into law. Many of our deputy sheriffs have served and protected the people of this state without fair compensation. This legislation will give these men and women a muchdeserved pay increase and provide them with increased financial security," Rep. Jones said.

Gov. Blunt has taken aggressive steps to fight crime in Missouri. Earlier this year the governor signed legislation saving the Missouri Sheriffs Methamphetamine Relief Team (MoSMART) by providing more than $1.8 million in supplemental funding to help in the states fight against meth after Congress eliminated federal support for the important program. The funding helped the anti-meth teams continue their work despite the elimination of federal funds as U.S. Sen. Kit Bond sought and ultimately succeeded in restoring the funding.

Gov. Blunt has worked with law enforcement to reduce the negative impact of meth in Missouri. Gov. Blunt signed tough anti-meth legislation in June 2005 to limit access to the materials used to make meth. The law restricts the sale of products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine and relocates them behind pharmacy counters. Consumers also are now required to show photo identification before purchasing products containing pseudoephedrine or ephedrine and are limited to how much of the products they can purchase each month. Under the legislation pharmacies are required to maintain purchase logs and make them available for inspection to law enforcement officers.

The safety of Missouri families is a high priority for Gov. Blunt. Gov. Blunt has been a national leader in protecting children from sexual predators. He enacted Missouris version of Jessicas Law, an action that mandates a life sentence with at least 30 years served for predators who commit egregious crimes against young children. Additionally, Gov. Blunt made Missouri one of the first states in the nation to mandate lifetime GPS monitoring for sex offenders.

Gov. Blunt instituted the Missouri Alert Network to enhance school safety and supported funding for cyber crime grants to assist law enforcement in investigating dangerous Internet crimes, especially sex crimes exploiting children.