JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Kehoe on Oct. 2 announced nearly $10 million in state grants for improving public safety to Missouri Blue Shield communities across the state. A total of 201 counties, cities, and towns earned the Governor’s Blue Shield designation by creating comprehensive, sustainable plans to fight crime and promote safer communities, making them eligible for grant funding.

Among the area counties included in the designation are Gasconade, Osage, Maries, Franklin and Crawford. Cities receiving grant awards include Rosebud, Gerald and Steelville.

“We had high expectations when we announced the Blue Shield Program on our first day in office, but the work Missouri communities have put into fighting crime and supporting law enforcement has been tremendous,” said Kehoe in a statement release Thursday. “The communities earning Blue Shield grants are proving the value of this program by utilizing the state funds to purchase equipment that will identify and help capture criminals and protect officers as they patrol Missouri’s streets.”

Missouri communities could apply for $50,000 in training, equipment, and technology grants if they met Missouri Blue Shield requirements and were designated as Blue Shield communities by June 1, 2025. A total of 60 counties, 137 cities and four towns were approved.

Equipment being funded include 388 mobile data terminals, 351 body cameras, 151 license plate readers, 102 ballistic vests, 91 interoperable radios and 56 vehicles.

“The Blue Shield communities are investing the state grants they are receiving in ballistic vests, body cameras, license plate readers, radios, dash cameras, patrol vehicles, UTVs and other equipment that will make a real difference to crime fighting every day,” said Missouri Department of Public Safety Director Mark James. “I also appreciate all the assistance our DPS Grants team provided to the Blue Shield community applicants to get the money flowing quickly to support the fine work of our local law enforcement partners.”

Communities have received notification of their grant awards by email this week from the Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS). Gasconade County Commission members discussed the grant briefly at their meeting Thursday morning at Owensville City Hall.

The Blue Shield Program, as outlined in Executive Order 25-03, is part of the Kehoe’s Safer Missouri initiative announced on his first day in office. The governor included, and the General Assembly approved, $10 million in grant funding for law enforcement training, equipment, and technology in Missouri’s FY 2026 budget.

Blue Shield designation eligibility criteria includes:

• 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.

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