SB 547 - This act creates the permanent Joint Committee on Capitol Police. The committee must appoint capitol police officers, determine the amount of appropriations necessary to fund the capitol police, recommend a person to serve as chief of the capitol police, and to oversee the operations of the capitol police. The committee is to be comprised of seven House members appointed by the Speaker, seven Senate members appointed by the President Pro Tem, the Clerk of the House, and the Secretary of the Senate. The committee must meet within 10 days after its creation and elect a chairman and vice-chairman, one of whom must be a senator and one of whom must be a House member.
The regular meetings must be in Jefferson City and the committee must meet once every six months. The members must serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses. The committee may close meetings relating to personnel or information that may impair the Capitol Police's ability to protect the security and safety of persons or real property. The committee may employ personnel. The committee has the power to subpoena witnesses, compel the production of records, and take testimony.
Under current law, the Director of the Department of Public Safety must employ capitol police officers and the department must appoint the officers. This act provides that the General Assembly must employ the capitol police officers and the Joint Committee on Capitol Police must appoint the officers.
This act repeals a provision of current law providing that capitol police have jurisdiction in all state-owned and leased buildings and the grounds thereof and that capitol police control the traffic and parking on the grounds of buildings owned or leased by the state in Cole County.
This act provides that the capitol police must be headed by a chief who is appointed to a four-year term by concurrent resolution upon recommendation by the Joint Committee on Capitol Police. The chief may only serve two terms. The chief must submit an annual budget to the Joint Committee on Capitol Police, establish an equitable pay plan for capitol police officers, establish a chain of command for the officers, designate a deputy chief who assumes the chief's powers when he or she is unable to act, and employ clerical staff, radio operators, and other help with the approval of the joint committee.
This act allows the capitol police to protect members of the General Assembly and statewide elected officials, except the Governor, and their family members throughout the world if the Joint Committee on Capitol Police, or the police chief in an emergency, determines the protection is necessary. This act gives capitol police officers in the performance of such protective duties, the authority to make arrests anywhere in the state for any crime committed in their presence or for any felony when they have probable cause.
This act specifies that the police chief is a conservator of the peace and requires all charges brought against a defendant arrested by capitol police in the Cole County circuit court and the detention of defendants in the Cole County jail.
The chief and deputy chief must complete at least 20 hours of training hours each year from the Missouri Sheriff's Association.
All members and employees of the Capitol Police, except the chief and deputy chief, are merit employees.
The capitol police must use the records management system of the Missouri Sheriff's Association and the Missouri Data Exchange System.
MEGHAN LUECKE