law enforcement

Valda City, a town of about 1,200 people, made Daniel Paulino its city administrator in 2021. Already the city's police chief, the move put him in charge of payroll and gave him access to the city’s bank accounts.

Since January 2025, more than 3,200 people from nearly 80 countries have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Missouri. We learn about new figures obtained through a public records lawsuit released by the Deportation Data Project.

Legislation passed by the Missouri House on Thursday is designed to support people with disabilities or mental or physical health conditions that could impair their ability to communicate with officers.

Kansas lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's veto to force the bill into law. Republican leaders say it's intended to prevent "radical protesters" from interfering with law enforcement or ICE actions. But press advocates say it's unconstitutional.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a law last year that took direct control of the police department away from the mayor’s office and shifted it to a board mostly appointed by the governor. It's similar to the system in place in Kansas City, which itself has been the subject of multiple lawsuits.

Both Republicans and Democrats voted against a bill aimed at reviving Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act, which would ban the enforcement of federal gun restrictions. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Missouri's attempt to revive the law.

A Syracuse University researcher says new ICE agreements spreading across Missouri will shift immigration enforcement onto local police — with possible consequences for towns and taxpayers.

More local law enforcement agencies are signing agreements with federal immigration agencies, bringing in new revenue for the departments, at the potential risk of community relationships. The agreements mean that even minor infractions like driving tickets have the potential to result in deportation.

Ex-Florissant officer Julian Alcala admitted that he pulled over victims for minor traffic violations, then searched through their phones and sent intimate photos and videos to his own phone.

Multiple Kansas law enforcement organizations came out against the bill. They want stiff penalties for crimes using weapons like short-barreled shotguns and guns with suppressors.

Despite cries that it was “performative politics,” Chair Manny Abarca said the plan puts the county on record as opposing “the caging of people.” A second measure that would have barred federal immigration agents from wearing masks was held for legal concerns.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe commended state agents who responded to the shootings, and spoke of supporting the families of the fallen officers. The suspect was recently out on bail, when a traffic stop turned fatal and led to a nine-hour manhunt and shootout.