By MATT PIKE

The St. Joseph Police Department has received the Blue Shield designation from the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says the honor is not only exciting for the police department, but for the city as a whole

“For those that forgot that Missouri Blue Shield designation recognizes really entire communities that are doing public safety the right way,” Luster says on the KFEQmunnity show. “So, counties that investing in officers, that are reducing crime, that are focused on building partnerships, so it’s not just this symbolic thing from the Governor’s office, it’s actually tied directly to accountability and results.”

The Blue Shield program was created by Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe last year to help provide funding to communities that show support to and help enhance law enforcement and safety efforts.

The program also helps provide training opportunities, which Luster believes can be a great help

“Getting the opportunity through the state to say hey we’re going to bring in high quality training to your region, and it’s free just sign up for it, it’s free to you, it’s free to your officers, that’s huge because that’s a class we would like to have that class here but we don’t have the money here but we don’t have the money for it this year, it’s something we have to put on the backburner, we don’t have to do that anymore,” Luster explains.

“So, there’s been lots of opportunities already, where they try to even do it regionally or even if you have to send some people to Jefferson City, they can still do that within a day to get some really high-quality training,” Luster says. “So, I think it’s really good for our officers.”

Luster adds it also helps send a message to the community that his department is about building a safer community via having more highly trained officers on staff.

The Blue Shield program also provides funding for departments and municipalities to help purchase equipment to enhance safety efforts.

Currently, Luster says needs are being evaluated between equipment and technology while the department waits to find out how much funding is given

“There’s been just a tremendous amount, in the last five years even, a tremendous amount of technology out there that really helps us protect this community in ways that I never would have dreamed possible when I first started this job,” Luster says. “And so, we’re looking at all kinds of do we want to look at equipment or do we want to look at technology or a combination of both as far as that goes, there is so much out there now when we meet with different vendors from technology, even certain technology overlays that can make things more efficient, so nothings off the table at this point.”

The governor’s 2027 budget appropriated $10 million to the program for equipment and training grants. Once the state budget is approved, the St. Joseph Police Department will have an idea what funding will be given.

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.