The mayors of Missouri’s four largest cities met in Springfield Friday to address the problem of violent crime in their communities. The mayors identified gun violence as a top concern, and they expressed that to Governor Mike Parson, who was also in attendance.
The mayors of St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Springfield said they will try to strengthen Missouri’s witness protection program and support laws that keep firearms out of the hands of violent offenders.
Parson told reporters after the meeting he also hopes to increase funding for mental health resources in these communities.
“The main thing that comes out of today: we know we’ve got to do something. We cannot continue going the way we are and expect any different results. So I think we’re all more than willing to look outside the box, per se, to figure out how we fight violent crime in the state,” Parson said.
The Republican governor said the solutions will likely include passing new gun control legislation, which he said can be accomplished while still honoring the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The meeting was hosted by Springfield’s mayor, Ken McClure. He called the meeting of the four mayors "historic" and said they plan to meet again on this issue.