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Bill would require public violent‑crime clearance reporting and create grant program to boost investigations
Summary
House Bill 591 would require the Department of Public Safety to publish violent‑crime clearance rates and establish a grant program prioritizing agencies that publicly report clearance statistics; witnesses from policy groups and national criminal‑justice organizations supported the reporting and resource focus.
Representative West presented House Bill 591 as a two‑part measure: mandatory public reporting of violent‑crime clearance rates by the Department of Public Safety and creation of a Missouri Violent Crime Clearance Grant Program to help agencies improve investigative capacity.
"Beginning 01/01/2026 the Department of Public Safety shall publish clearance rates which shall include the rate at which law enforcement agencies clear an offense by arrest or by exceptional means as defined in the act," the sponsor read from the bill. The measure also directs DPS to prioritize grants for agencies that publicly report low clearance rates and demonstrate collaboration and concrete goals.
Jason Olin of the Niskanen Center testified in support, saying the violent‑crime clearance rate has fallen nationally and that increased resources for detectives, analysts, and forensic capacity correlate with higher clearance rates. "Evidence suggests that resources are critical in solving cases, particularly those that would otherwise go unsolved," Olin said.
A representative from the CSG Justice Center offered a 50‑state analysis noting that in 2023 thirty states, including Missouri, solved less than half of known violent crimes and that staffing declines and increasing digital evidence volumes have strained investigations in rural and urban jurisdictions alike. The witness urged standardized reporting to identify gaps and target aid.
Jeremy Lefebvre of Empower Missouri said the proposal was a smart, targeted way to support violent‑crime investigations without broad increases in punitive sentences.
Committee members asked how the grant would be funded, whether DPS would determine grant amounts, and whether ineligibility for funds would risk public‑safety capacity for departments lacking reporting capabilities. The sponsor and witnesses said grant funding would require appropriation and that the bill uses existing DPS reporting standards; they said the program would be designed to encourage compliance and improve investigative outcomes rather than to strip core funding without opportunity to comply.
No final action occurred; the committee concluded the hearing and adjourned.
