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JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri’s top cop under former Gov. Matt Blunt is making a return appearance in the post.

In an announcement Monday, Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe announced that Mark James will take over as director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety in January.

He will replace Sandra Karsten, who is retiring after serving in the role since 2018.

James’ appointment, which will need Senate approval, comes as Kehoe has made crime his top priority, including calling for a state takeover of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Metropolitan Police Department.

“Mark James brings decades of valuable law enforcement and leadership experience to this role, and we’re going to get to work on day one to bring safety back to our communities,� Kehoe said. “We need a strong, experienced leader who will be tough on crime.�

James served as a state highway patrol officer in southwest Missouri for nine years before moving to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 1987. He served as special agent in charge of ATF’s Kansas City division.

In 2005, he was named director of public safety by Blunt.

James, a Willow Springs native, also was chancellor of Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, where he created its first campus police department and dispatch center.

He later served as U.S. marshal of the western district of Missouri before retiring in 2021.

“Governor-Elect Kehoe’s vision for public safety will drive the work of the department and its agencies, and I’m honored to have his trust and confidence,� James said.

The Department of Public Safety includes a number of high-profile divisions, including the highway patrol, the Capitol police, state fire marshal, emergency management and the Missouri Veterans Commission.

The $1.5 billion agency, which has 4,680 employees, also oversees the state’s casino gambling and fledgling sports betting industry. The director post pays $164,000 annually.

Kehoe, who will take over for term-limited Gov. Mike Parson, has said he will retain a number of current agency directors in his cabinet. Other director positions to be announced include the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Social Services and the Department of Commerce and Insurance.