Governor Kehoe Announces Over 200 Communities Earned Missouri Blue Shield Designation for Commitment to Effective Law Enforcement and Community Safety

JULY 1, 2025

Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that 201 Missouri counties, cities, and towns have received the Missouri Blue Shield designation in recognition of their dedication to enhancing public safety, strengthening support for law enforcement, and building sustainable public safety partnerships. The Blue Shield Program, as outlined in Executive Order 25-03, is part of the Governor’s Safer Missouri initiative announced on his first day in office.

Following the Governor's approval of Fiscal Year 2026 budget funding yesterday, the Blue Shield communities are now able to tap into a $10 million dollar fund for grants for law enforcement training, equipment, and technology.

“I’ve said from day one that improving public safety is the top priority of our administration and the response of communities, large and small, across our state shows that Missourians want to have safer streets and support law enforcement,” Governor Kehoe said. “Now, all 201 of the Blue Shield communities will be able to apply for funding through the Missouri Department of Public Safety to further bolster public safety through grants for training, equipment, and technology.”

A total of 60 counties, 137 cities and four towns were approved as Blue Shield communities after applying by June 1 to the Department of Public Safety. A map of Blue Shield communities and the full list of approved jurisdictions is available here.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS) is administering the Blue Shield Program and opened grant applications today, the beginning of State Fiscal Year 2026. Communities may spend grant funds for any combination of training, equipment, or technology for their law enforcement agencies to strengthen public safety. Eligible expenditures include ballistic vests, body-worn cameras, security and surveillance systems, gunshot detection technology, and crime analytics software. The $10 million will be split equally among approved Blue Shield applicants.

“We knew going into this that there was overwhelming support for law enforcement among Missourians and high interest in building stronger alliances between law enforcement and the communities they serve, but the response to the Blue Shield Program has been even stronger than we anticipated,” Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Mark James said. “We are looking forward to receiving funding proposals from the 201 communities and our DPS team will be processing grant applications quickly.”

Blue Shield counties, cities, and towns must maintain their commitments each year to retain the Blue Shield designation via annual reporting about their ongoing efforts to support public safety to DPS. There will be another opportunity for other communities to apply for the Blue Shield designation and take advantage of future grants in 2026.

Among the Blue Shield designation eligibility criteria were:

  • Passage of a resolution demonstrating a commitment to public safety, including to reduce violent crime within the jurisdiction;
  • Extraordinary investments in public safety funding;
  • Community policing initiatives or local partnerships to invest in and/or improve public safety;
  • Law enforcement officer recruitment and retention program;
  • Demonstrated effectiveness in reducing crime or innovative programs that attempt to reduce crime;
  • Participates in regional anti-crime task forces, or a commitment to be a willing partner with these in the future; and
  • Compliance with Missouri crime reporting and traffic stop data requirements and other related statutes.
     
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