Public Order & Safety
At-A-Glance | 2005-2024
Over the past 20 years, Springfield and Greene County have built a strong tradition of collaboration among law enforcement, fire, emergency services, and community organizations to keep residents safe.
In the mid-2000s, state laws, enforcement partnerships, and public education efforts helped curb meth lab operations, but the drug’s impact on domestic violence, property crime, and community health was significant. Through the late 2000s and early 2010s, population growth, limited staffing, and budget reductions strained public safety systems. Still, agencies found creative ways to adapt, like passing a 9-1-1 sales tax, building a new crime lab, and expanding fire stations.
The 2010s brought greater attention to prevention, intervention, and justice as guiding pillars of safety strategy. Agencies invested in risk reduction education, emergency preparedness, and technological upgrades, while also warning of under-resourced courts, prosecution, and public defense.
In recent years, the focus has shifted toward modern challenges such as opioids, gun-related crime, and mental health crises. Today, Springfield and Greene County public safety agencies continue to balance strengths of cutting-edge technology and community collaboration with persistent staffing shortages and substance-use issues.
Public safety leaders remain committed to adapting to both long-standing and emerging threats with resilience and innovation.
Community Collaboration
Since Public Order & Safety first appeard in the Community Focus Report, community collaboration continues to weave a consistent thread, past and present.
Interagency collaboration helps improve the community’s Red Flags.
awareness, education & response to
mental health needs
Recent years have seen an increase in awareness, education and response to mental health needs by public safety agencies.
Implemented in 2022, the mental health co-responder program, a partnership between the Springfield Police Department and Burrell Behavioral Health, connects those in crisis to the services they need.
The southwest Missouri region 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline call center is housed with Burrell. To streamline and further improve service to callers in crisis, Burrell is working with the Springfield-Greene County 911 Emergency Communications Center to co-locate 988 call takers at the 911 dispatch center.
ENHANCED TECHNOLOGY USE
Across all public safety agencies, enhanced technology use thrives.
A prime example is the use of drone technology by both the Springfield Police Department and the Springfield Fire Department. SPD is moving toward using drones as a first responder, which allows officers to have eyes more quickly on an incident.
SPD continues to use drones during special operations and search-and-rescue missions.
gun-related
crimes
The past few years have seen a steady increase in gun-related crimes, particularly where juvenile offenders are concerned.
While the Springfield Police Department saw a slight decrease in the number of shots-fired calls and persons injured by gunfire in 2023, the trend still requires more work from the community to advocate for responsible gun ownership.
SUBSTANCE USE
ISSUES
Substance-use issues remain a concern in Springfield, but there is hope, particularly regarding opioid use.
Led by the Springfield Police Department, Narcan leave-behind kits are a new tool being used to help prevent deaths from opioid overdoses.
Kits include two doses of Narcan, a CPR mouth shield and instructions on how to use it, along with resources to connect people with recovery, treatment and support.
As of June, 165 kits had been distributed this year.
STAFFING SHORTAGES
While some agencies have reached a comfortable level of personnel, staffing shortages continue to affect law enforcement agencies and the judicial system.
In addition to a lack of applicants and qualified hires, another challenge is an overall lower experience level in both law enforcement and the judicial system, while handling a consistently higher workload.