Blunt: 26 Cattle Rustlers Arrested Since 2006

Twenty-six people have been arrested and 126 heads of cattle have been recovered since Gov. Matt Blunt formed a special task force in 2006 aimed at cracking down on cattle rustling.

Within a year of the task force’s creation, the Missouri Information Analysis Center has received, processed, and analyzed 299 theft reports totaling more than 1,686 head of cattle and 12 stolen pick-ups/trailers.

In Springfield Tuesday, Gov. Blunt praised the efforts of the task force but also noted that cattle theft continues to be a problem.

“If criminals think they can steal cattle in our state, they should know we will track them down and a sheriff or Highway Patrolman will be knocking on their door," Blunt said.