MUST READ!!! KANSAS CITY 6TH DISTRICT CANDIDATE HENRY KLEIN CALLS FOR MORE COPS AND KCPD LOCAL CONTROL!!!

TKC NOTE: Given that we're inundated with crime links this morning, this note from 6th District candidate Henry Klein seems appropriate. Check it:

Klein Comments on the Proposed City Budget - Wants More Police Officers and Local Control

(Kansas City, MO) Henry Klein, candidate for City Council, 6th District (in-district) outlines the need for more Police. "There are serious budget constraints going on right now. I understand and respect this but, like in the business world, cutting more isn't always the best way to achieve a desired result. In my over two decades of Fortune 500 business experience, there are times when we have to invest. Investing in more police officers on the streets is one of the best ways for us to invest in ourselves."

Klein discusses how we might get more funds for policing. "It's interesting that after all these years that finally we are starting to see the city and the police department work on correcting the out of balance ratio of desk jobs to officers on the streets. And we are seeing some modest synergies brought to bear regarding things like fuel purchases. By doing more to combine the kinds of services the city and the police department both need and use, we could save even more and again, I'm proposing that those savings go directly into new police officer hires."


Given Kansas City's incredible size, we're larger than San Francisco in sheer land mass, we need more officers on the streets in order to reduce response times and, frankly, to save lives. We know this all too well in the 6th district where areas such as Ruskin Heights are seeing elevated crime levels and lengthy police response times.

Additionally, Klein talked about the need for local control. "I called for local control 8 and 4 years ago and I'm calling for it again now. It's entirely possible that the reason local control hasn't gained greater acceptance is because we haven't done a good enough job helping citizens understand the benefits including streamlining of overall operations between departments...as well as making the police department more responsive. The police board vacancy that The Kansas City Star recently commented on is just another example how the current state control isn't doing all it could to help our city."

Klein suggested some ideas of how local control might be implemented. "Unlike in past efforts, we should be considering other ways to create local control including the preservation of the police board but with all board members being elected by our citizens. Another alternative could be to have board members nominated by the mayor and voted on to the board by the city council."

"It's strange, after having spent over two decades in the private sector, the idea of putting people where they are needed most, combining functions for efficiency and putting control of an operation where it can best be overseen would just get done. End of discussion. I'm determined to bring this thinking to the public sector. Yes, a little of this is happening but so much more could be done." Klein said.

"I commend the efforts of NoVA KC (the No Violence Alliance). It's a start and if we can get more police on the streets through this, all the better but bottomline - greater crime reduction through more policing and local control, will create a significantly better quality of life and ultimately make important contributions to economic growth here in Kansas City," Klein emphasized.
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