As we warned at the outset of the week . . . The push for so-called "local control" is ramping up and Kansas City social justice warriors are recruiting allies and strident police opposition to take part in the effort.
And so, today the KCPD Chief shared this COMPREHENSIVE BLOG POST in order to address the political challenges.
Checkit:
KCPD's unique governance model serves Kansas City well
Main argument . . .
"As it does every few years, the question of “local control” of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department has resurfaced. The KCPD is governed by a Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the Governor of Missouri and confirmed by the State Senate. They all are residents of Kansas City, Mo. The elected mayor of Kansas City also has a seat on the Board. That’s why the issue at hand isn’t really “local control” but local political control. The Kansas City Council funds the Department, according to state statute. We have operated this way since 1939, when rampant corruption caused the state to take control of the department.
"Many say that model is outdated. We believe, however, that it has served the people of Kansas City well for 80 years and will continue to do so."
Here's the latest talking point that deserves consideration and the strongest defense we've seen so far . . .
"The most common argument I hear against our governance model is that we are the only one in the nation who has it. Being unique is not a negative thing. Perhaps we should be seen as the leader after which other agencies should model themselves. Look out a little farther, however, and you’ll see that we’re not that different. The majority of municipal Canadian police departments are overseen by civilian boards of police commissioners, just like KCPD’s. Police are governed this way in most major Canadian cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa.
Defense against the murder rate blame game . . .
"I also hear that our unique system of governance must somehow be the source of the stubborn homicide rate in our city. The other nine cities on the list of the nation’s 10 Most Dangerous Cities have local political control, and that has done nothing to abate the violence in their communities. Many of those cities also have experienced unrest that we haven’t.
Political priorites . . .
"We have a Board of Police Commissioners who can focus entirely upon governing the police department. City Councilmembers have many other important functions to oversee, from the airport to street maintenance to sewers. We are fortunate to have an oversight board in which our department is their sole priority. They can review policies and procedures at length. They also are open to public input and have requested it on many occasions, like during the last selection process for Chief of Police. Every month, the Board meets to publicly go over the department’s finances, policies and other items, as well as take comments from the community. You would be hard-pressed to find another City department that gets this level of public scrutiny on a monthly basis."
As always, we encourage Kansas City voters to read the Chief's post in its entirety and consider the implications of a political change up.
You decide . . .
The better argument is this:
ReplyDeleteHow badly has KC council screwed up everything from streets, to schools and sewers.
Do you really want them in charge of public safety?
So, you want the folks in charge of pot-hole filling to run the Police. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteIf the Mafia threat still controls KCPD then State Control has failed.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason the police dept wants to be run by the state and not the city is MONEY! They don’t want the city to have any control over it, that’s why they want the state to run them plus, the state doesn’t control what they do on a daily or even weekly basis, the city would cut their funding and control every second of their day.
ReplyDelete4:30 is correct. This is a money issue.
ReplyDeleteHow can we get this to a vote?
ReplyDeleteThe current system does not work. The police do not show up. Call, call again but the police do not show up. The neighborhood representatives complain the department does not have sufficient funding or sufficient police officers but compared to other cities the police department is well ahead of the curve. The current police chief Richard Smith needs to stop blogging and start working to address the citizens of the City of Kansas City, MO (including the non-white citizens).
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea what you're talking about. Please educate yourself before you start your ignorant blather. No organization is perfect, that's true, but KCPD is always looking for better ways to police, to work with the community, and curb violent crime. What the hell are YOU doing for our city?
DeleteIt's amazing to hear a police chief rant against accountability. Does the department have something to hide?
ReplyDelete^^^ always looking...... for ways to get out of doing their jobs, they work for the state not kc, the state doesn’t monitor them so they do as they please, and that’s as little as possible.
ReplyDeleteThere is no way in hell I want the Mayor and Clowncil to run our police department. They do such an excellent job with Fire and the massive amounts we pay in overtime. When the highest paid City employee is an EMT making almost a quarter of a million a year due to playing the overtime game, (along with many others) things are not well managed. Don’t let our Clowncil destroy KCPD.
ReplyDelete^^^ X 1000 Exactly!
DeleteThe Police Department takes 75% of the general fund while crime rises every year. If they want state control then let the state pay for them not to do their job.
ReplyDelete