JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft released an anti-crime plan Thursday that includes hiring 1,000 new law enforcement personnel and placing the St. 亚洲无码 Police Department under state control.
鈥淚 will launch an initiative to hire 1,000 more officers, dispatchers, deputies, and other law enforcement personnel to make sure we have the people we need to keep our communities safe,鈥 Ashcroft, a Republican running for governor this year, said in a news release.
Later Thursday, Ashcroft announced the St. 亚洲无码 Ethical Society of Police, an organization representing primarily Black St. 亚洲无码 police officers, was endorsing him for governor.
鈥淭he Ethical Society of Police is endorsing Jay Ashcroft for Missouri Governor because he has committed to bringing ESOP鈥檚 voice to the table, so we can advocate for our members, our citizens and officers throughout the state,鈥 the ESOP Board said in a statement, according to an Ashcroft campaign news release.
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鈥淭o us, this endorsement is about people over politics. We will never agree on every issue with any candidate or elected official, but we agree with Jay Ashcroft on the urgency of police reform and the cost of inaction to the real people who are impacted every day.鈥
Like Ashcroft, ESOP has voiced support for a state takeover of the St. 亚洲无码 Police Department. In October, the Post-Dispatch published an joint opinion piece by Donny Walters, ESOP鈥檚 president, and Ashcroft, making a case for state control.
鈥淚t means a great deal to me to receive the endorsement of the Ethical Society of Police. These men and women represent every facet of public safety here in St. 亚洲无码 and are an important voice in how we police moving forward,鈥 Ashcroft said in a statement Thursday.
The St. 亚洲无码 Police Officers Association, a union representing St. 亚洲无码 police, had previously endorsed Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, in the governor鈥檚 race.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time for the citizens of this state to feel safe and for the criminals to be scared,鈥 Ashcroft said Thursday in a 3-minute video to social media site X on Thursday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time for us to re-fund the police and invest in our communities.鈥
In addition to the state takeover and law enforcement recruitment efforts, another element of Ashcroft鈥檚 crime plan includes 鈥渢ruth in sentencing.鈥
鈥淚 will make sure we enforce the laws on the books and ensure convicted criminals serve a meaningful portion of their sentence,鈥 Ashcroft said.
Ashcroft also emphasizes reentry programs in his plan, calls for more investments in mental health facilities, and for providing education to individuals who are incarcerated.
The most controversial element of Ashcroft鈥檚 plan could be the move to return the city police to state control. An effort to do so died in the Legislature last year, and is again languishing this year.
Missouri voters in 2012 voted to place the city police department under local control.
Critics of the recent plans to put the city department under state control point to the fact that Kansas City鈥檚 department is also under state control and that Kansas City also grapples with high crime.
Major Republican candidates running against Ashcroft in the Republican gubernatorial primary include Kehoe and state Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring.
High-profile Democrats running include House Minority Leader Crystal Quade and Springfield businessman Mike Hamra.
Updated at 4 p.m.