ST. LOUIS, Mo. – In recent events, we heard from Governor Mike Kehoe for the first time after President Donald Trump declared that St. Louis needs assistance and hinted at the possibility of sending the National Guard to the area.
As questions swirl following developments in Washington, D.C., and Memphis gears up for possible National Guard involvement, it’s still uncertain whether St. Louis will experience such a deployment.
In a statement, Kehoe’s office affirmed that enhancing public safety and tackling crime is a primary concern. This includes budget allocations for recruiting and retaining police officers and establishing state oversight for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
According to Kehoe’s office:
“Currently, there are no plans to deploy the National Guard in Missouri to combat crime. However, Governor Kehoe is keeping various options open to ensure the safety of Missourians. He appreciates President Trump’s initiatives to enhance safety in cities like Washington, D.C., and Memphis, aligning with the same goal of building safer and more fruitful communities.”
Senator Josh Hawley also connected with First Alert 4 to clarify: he hasn’t discussed the National Guard’s potential role in St. Louis with the President, emphasizing that any requests would come from Kehoe.
“I know the governor is in talks with the White House regarding this matter,” Hawley stated. “Missouri voters clearly demand law and order; they want safe neighborhoods. Just look at the recent changes in the St. Louis area, which is now monitored at the state level.”
One of the pressing questions we’ve encountered is regarding what would happen if the National Guard were to arrest suspects: where would they go?
The Criminal Justice Center in the city, along with the St. Louis County jail, is almost at full capacity.
“That’s a predicament people prefer having,” Hawley said. “As a prosecutor, when you can put criminals behind bars instead of leaving them out on the streets, that’s a win.”
We also questioned Hawley on whether local facilities can manage any extra enforcement if arrests take place.
“There are multiple strategies we can adopt for that; we’ve dealt with this issue countless times,” shared Sen. Hawley. “During my time as Attorney General, we found numerous solutions. The priority is to remove criminals from the streets, and I’d prefer them to be incarcerated anywhere rather than allowing them to threaten our communities.”
Regarding his discussions with Kehoe about any possible deployment, Hawley kept it brief, noting they converse often and that he appreciates Kehoe’s current performance.
