O'Fallon Republican wants to stop 'defunding' of police in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS - There was a serious crime scene in downtown St. Louis early Tuesday morning — that was also symbolic for some — a shot-up car crashed into the convention and visitors center. "As St. Louis and Kansas City struggle with crime, it impacts the entire region and impacts our economy as a whole," said State Rep. Nick Schroer (R-O'Fallon). Representative Schroer says the city's crime-fighting strategy could make the situation worse. Newly elected Mayor Tishaura Jones, a Democrat, has proposed reallocating about $4 million of the police department's $170 million budget to other services. "Defunding the police" is how Rep. Schroer sees it. "To me, that does not make sense whatsoever," said Schroer. Wednesday, he will join fellow Republicans from the Kansas City area and ask Governor Mike Parson to call lawmakers into a special session specifically to stop any "defunding" of the police in the state's major metro areas. Read more: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/pol...