TKC EXCLUSIVE MUST READ!!! KANSAS CITY FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE FEARS 'DEVASTATING' CONSEQUENCES OF NEW CITY HALL FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN!!!
Conservatives often talk about support for police and here's a unique and TKC EXCLUSIVE to discuss the public safety priority as our blog community focuses on this issue FIRST and sets the agenda for City Hall.
To wit . . .
EXCLUSIVE KANSAS CITY BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT: THE KANSAS CITY FRATERNAL ORDER WARNS OF DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES AND SEYZ 'OUR CITY WILL SUFFER' AMID MORE CUTBACKS PLANNED FOR POLICE!!!
We struggled with this one because it was sent out later in the evening . . . We'll continue doing more research for the overnight but figured it was important to put this on blast FIRST for our bloggy community.
Here's the word . . .
Statement from the Kansas City Fraternal Order Of Police . . .
Police services in Kansas City rank 2nd among citizens in order of importance but yet as violent crimes soar, the number of police officers on the streets continues to decline. So far this year 93 people have been killed in our city. Despite the growing concerns by the public the city is doing nothing to aid in the recruitment and retention of qualified officers.
The city just released its five year financial plan and if passed we fear it could have devastating consequences, not just for the department, but also the public.
Police payroll is the only department seeing just a 2% increase for the next 5 years. With current costs the department will not be able to provide cost of living increases for officers or hire additional officers desperately needed. Meanwhile government, public works and neighborhoods and health employees are on track for 2.5% increases for the next 3 years.
Firefighters will see a 4.7 percent increase if the current proposal passes, increases that are not only appropriate but necessary.
As of September the police department had just 1327 sworn police officers, the fewest number of officers since 2011. A decade ago in 2007 we had 1423 police officers protecting our city . . .
It is time our city recognizes what’s happening around the nation and right here in Kansas City. You will not reduce crime by reducing the number of officers on the force. The Chicago Police Department recently announced plans to hire more than 500 additional officers to deal with the violent crime surge. These are newly created positions, not openings which already exist. Those too will be filled.
Unless our department gets the funding and support needed to match our crime problem our citizens, our city will suffer . . .
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Read the memo in its entirety here . . .
Accordingly, we hope to revisit this subject for the morning update . . . STAY TUNED!!!
Hey now.
ReplyDeletePolice will have to get in line.
Sly has a new airport and hotel to build.
Misplaced priorities in KCMO.
ReplyDeleteLook no further than what's happening in the 4th District. We're more focused on tax breaks for hotels than public safety for neighborhoods.
This is a democrat town their is no crime. Just spend money on P&L District and 18th & Vine. Vote democrat. Vote for the great combat tax.
ReplyDeleteThey should make bigger campaign donations. Then they will see a reward.
ReplyDelete^^^ That is exactly what's wrong with Kansas City politics. It's all just a rip-off get rich quick scheme.
ReplyDeleteThis is why we need to hold our elected officials accountable. Without all of the tax breaks for development, we would have more than enough money to properly fund police.
DeleteIt is truly important for people to realize that not only is it difficult to get qualified applicants in order to maintain staffing levels, it is crucial to retain the officers who have been on for 5,10,15 years. There is a lot of money and time invested in the veterans
ReplyDeletePlease let the city , KILLA CITY , find the$$$ to buy my close high power guns and ammo and cap the Plaza TRANNY Groid punks ! ¡??
ReplyDeleteThis is why so many people advocate for CCW. Looks like we're on our own and muse defend ourselves.
ReplyDeleteBefore spending any more money on bureaucrats the tax payers need to know exactly what spending it is going to do for them. There are so many things wrong with KCPD that hiring more people to work in that culture is just counterproductive. Its all nice and cozy to be a bleeding heart when it comes to police jobs and support, but we sure don't need more ticket writers, legacy training, legacy technology or focus on anything not directly having to do with felony crime. Rather than pitching jobs someone needs to be pitching results and so far I haven't seen a single person doing that.
ReplyDeleteThe cops need to quit writing tickets, quit arresting for minor violations and send the city a message. If this happened to the union Fire department they would do a work slow down or strike and lets don't forget withhold campaign donations to the politicos
ReplyDeleteThe number of murders has nothing to do with the number of police officers, but it's a nice scare tactic. Maybe if KCPD stopped giving civilian employees cars to take home, and paying for their gas, they could budget a little more for the officers.
ReplyDeleteStart cutting back, let the mayor pay for his own security detail.
ReplyDeleteNo more money for the police and that includes renewal of the publuc safety sales. Get results. Get paid. It's as simple as that on every other job except the police. Shit has to change.
ReplyDeleteThe police dont have crystal balls. i think folks are a little hard on them.they do not have the ability to know when some asshole decides to pull a gun and within seconds ,shoot somebody.they're job is extreme.they have brass balls.we'd be fucked without them.
ReplyDeletePay them what they deserve..all this anti police bullshit is catching on with regular folk
and apparently city government. thats not right,its scary and stupid.
They don't need a raise they have take home cars.
ReplyDeleteThank of all the money you would save each year if the City paid for your gas, car insurance, mechanic bills. What a perk!
None of my friends have take home cars. Commanders should lose theirs, we all agree.
ReplyDeleteyou make a good point 2:30,if what you say is true but i have a hard time believing that they all have take home car's.i know some do but lets get real about it.1400+ take home cars..i dont think so.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is missing the real issue. Just a couple of months ago the mayor and city council were begging us to support the public safety sales tax, but now they are turning their backs on the VOTERS who approved the tax. They scared us into approving the tax because it would cost the city police officers, but over the last 10 years the city has already lost well over 100 officers due to mismanagement. Now we see another budget year where Sly is reducing the funds to keep in his pocket AFTER we suported the E-tax.
ReplyDeleteJackson County is asking us to renew the COMBAT tax, but has never accounted for the tax. I say we vote no, we must take a stand as taxpayers. We either get what we are promised or we don't renew it. We shouldn't allow any new issues to come up until Sly keeps his promise.
The city is gearing up for a large bond issue next spring, don't let it pass. Kill any new taxes until we get the services we already pay for.
I can't believe the northlanders and far south residents are this blind!!!! Fight the mayor. If this is a public pissing match then we have to tell our councilman whose side we are on.
I'd give my left nut for a 2% raise.
ReplyDelete@9:41 is exactly right when they talk about identifying the sources of the crime problem and creating a plan to address it before there's any talk about hiring more officers or spending more money.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have a mismanaged failing system that clearly isn't doing the job (96 homicides YTD in 2016), throwing more money at it simply creates a more expensive dysfunctional operation.
The source of the problem isn't guns, so stop talking about the Missouri legislature.
The source of the problem isn't a lack of jobs that can't be addressed by a more expansive and well-run bus system.
The source of the problem isn't a lack of nonprofits or social service agencies, of which there are already thousands, nor the money they spend which is in the hundreds of millions.
The problem is irresponsibility, lack of respect for others, a disregard for basic civil behavior, family disintegration, lack of cooperation by residents with the police, lack of community leadership, lack of courage and even pandering and excuses by elected officials, and defining "culture" by the lowest common denominator.
It's getting worse because the people who could make a difference are all making excuses, touting the latest trendy idea, and looking the other way. Lots of folks are even making good livings from the status quo.
And not even half the murders in KCMO are ever solved.
Without public safety all the glitzy toys and grandiose dreams of city hall are worthless. No one wants to live or work where they fell they're at risk, and rightly so.
KCMO and its lack of seriously addressing the most basic of public services is a terrible drag on the entire region.
Sad.
Worked along side KCPD for years. Most corrupt organization I have ever seen. The internal culture was so bad the officers were just as busy defending themselves from each other as they were fighting criminals. Lots of racism, power trips, vendettas, and flat out corruption. I have never trusted the police since.
ReplyDeleteI smell city control!!!! Well, there goes your pension.
ReplyDeleteSo sadly uninformed...Pension is protected by state statute and the city can't touch it. Educate yourself sweetie unless you just like looking and sounding like an idiot.
DeleteThe city already controls. They control the money and everything else falls into pace after that. the idea that the state controls much of anything at KCPD is a complete joke.
ReplyDeleteKCPD sucks at fighting crime.
ReplyDeleteNo raise until you get results.