Branson sits among the first places to receive the Missouri Blue Shield designation, according to a Wednesday press release from the Missouri governor's office.
A portion of that press release is below:
Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe announced 15 Missouri counties, cities, and towns as the first to have earned Missouri Blue Shield designations. To achieve this designation, Missouri communities must demonstrate their commitment 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 Missouriinitiative announced on his first day in office. Achieving the Blue Shield designation allows communities to access state grants for law enforcement training and equipment as Governor Kehoe continues to work with the General Assembly to make $10 million in grant funding available for this program.
The first 15 communities include: Jefferson County, Arnold, Warrensburg, Carter County, Miller County, Sedalia, Kennett, Branson, Desloge, Johnson County, Cole County, Grandview, Vinita Park, Greenwood, and Town and Country.
"We are proud to see Missouri communities committed to supporting our administration's top priority – improving public safety and building strong partnerships between citizens and law enforcement," Governor Kehoe said. "We have a number of applications from additional communities that are still under review, and we encourage even more communities to apply."
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