Kansas City Mayor Lucas proposes reallocation of KCPD budget to community efforts

Kansas City Mayor Lucas proposes reallocation of KCPD budget to community efforts

IN A FEW MINUTES.ALL RIGHT.THANK YOU SIR.NOW THE MAYOR’S PLAN AND FUNDINGCHANGES FOR THE KCPD.HE’S PROPOSING SOME OF THEPOLICE BUDGET BE REALLOCATED FORCRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS.KMBC9’S EMILY HALLWICK I LIVEOUTSIDE KCPD HEADQUARTERS WITHWHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR THEDEPARTMENT EMILY.MAYOR LASUC IS INTRODUCING TWONEW ORDINANCES TODAY IN THE CITYCOUNCIL MEETING.AFTERNOON THAT HE SAYS WILLINCREASE ACCOUNTABILITYOR F HOWTHE POLICE DEPARTMENT SPENDS ITSBUDGET.NOW MAYOR LUCAS EMPHASIZED THATTHIS IS NOT DEFUNDING THEPOLICE.HE SAYS IT IS REALLOCATING MONEYTOUT P SPECICALLFIY TOWARDEFFORTS IN CRIME PREVENTION LIKEMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SOCLIAWORKERS AND OTHER INTERVENTIONSUNDER MISSOURI LAW.THE POLICE DEPARTMENTAS H TO GETAT LEAST 20% OF THE CITY’SGENERAL REVENUE.THE MAYOR LUCAS IS PROPOSINGTHAT ANYTHING BEYOND THAT WOULDBE REAL LOCATED TO A NEWCOMMUNITY SERVICES ANDPREVENTION.BUT MAYOR LUCAS SAYS OUT OF THECURRENT KCPD BUDGET OF AROUND153 MILLION DOLLARS ABOUT 47MILLION WILL GO TO THAT NEWFUND.THIS WOULD BE ALL LAID OUT IN ACONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITYNAMAGER AND THE BOARD OF POLICECOMMISSIONERS.THE MAYOR SAYS, TSHI IS ABOUTACCOUNTABILITY.IT’S A WAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEEEXACTLY HOW KCPD IS USING MONEYFOR CRIME PREVENTION ANDOUTREACH AND THAT IT’SOT NTAKING MONEYWA AY FROM KCPD.I’M LAYING OUT APPROACH THATGISVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEPOLICE BUDGET TO BE EXACTLY THEMEIF NOT SLIGHTLY INCREASEDALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS WORK WITHUS.ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS LISTENALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS REPORTBACK TO US WHAT THEY’RE DOING TOENHANCE PUBLIC.SAFETY IN PARTICULARLY TOENHANCE PUBLIC SAFY AET WAYTHAT ALLOWS FOR ACCOUNTABILITYTO THE PUBLIC.NOW THE MAYOR SAYS TT EIGHTCITY COUNCIL MEMBERSCO-SPONSORED THESE ORDINANCES.HE SAID THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TOGET IT PASSED.THEY’LL BE HEARD IN COMMITTEE ASEARLY AS NEXT WEEK REPORTINGLIVE AT KCPD HEADQUARTERS.EMILY HOLWICK.KMBC9 NEWS.THANK YOU EMILY NOW FOR CITYCOUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THEY WERECAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THE MAYOR’SPROPOSAL CAMBYSON HAS BRIANJOHNSON LIVE WITH THEIR REACTIONRIGHT NOW, BRIAN.YEAH, THE FOUR CITY COUNCILMEMBERS REPRESENT NORTH OF THERIVER AND THEY SAY THAT THISWILL HURT.POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT IT WILLREDUCE MORALE AND TTHA WILL SLOWDOWN RESPONSE TIMES.THEY SAY DURING OPERATION LEGENDWHEN THEY WERE MORE OFFICERSVIOLENT CRIME IN KANSAS CITYACTUALLY WAS REDUCED IT WAS THEMONTHS BEFORE AND AFTER THATTHAT MADE FOR THE HIGH HOMICIDERATE AT THE END OF THEEA YR NOWTODAY IN CITY COUNCIL IN THECHAMBERS OFFICERS WERE PRESENTTHERE MORE TNHA TWO DOZEN OFTHEM MAKING THEIR PRESENCE KNOWNTHEREHE T FOUR CITY COUNCILMEMBERS IN OPPOSITION OF THISLEGISLATION SAY TYHE HEOP THESTATE INTERVENE SOMEHOW AT THE,MISSOURI POLICE DEPARTMENT.COURSE RUN BY A STATE BRDOA ANDTODAY SITTING IN THE SESSION WASAT LEAST ONE, MISSOURI SENATOR ANSKAAS CITY IS 319 SQUARE MILESIN THE NORTHLAND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS SAY OFTEN THEIRDISTRICTS HAVE ONLY A HANDFUL OFOFFICERS ON DUTY AND THEY THEYNEED MORE OFFICERS NOT LESS.THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE WORSTPIECEF O LEGISLATION.I HAVE SEEN SINCE I’VE EVERSINCE I’VE BEEN HERE AT CITYHALL.THIS IS A GREAT CITY AND I THINKTHAT THE PEOPLE HERE DESERVE THEVERY BTES PROTECTION AND THAT’SALL WE KEEP SAYING HELP REDUCEVIOLENT CRIME.WELL, HOW ABOUT IF PEOPLE JUSTSTOP KILLING EACH OTHER BECAUSETHE TRUTH IS THAT POLICE ARE NOTTHE ONES THAT ARE DOING ALL THEVIOLENCE THEY ARE HAVING TORESPOND.AND THEY SAY IN THE 1990S WHENKANSAS CITY POLICE HAD THE MOSTOFFIRSCE.THAT’S WHEN THE CITY WAS THESAFEST LIVE IN KANSAS CITY.BRIAN JOHNSON.KMBC9 NEWS BRIAN.THANK YOU POLICE STEVE RICKSMITH SAYS, HE’S DISHEARTENED.THE MAYOR DIDN'’ NOTIFY THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT OF THISPARTICULAR POLICY SHIFT, KANSASCITY, MISSOURI, OF COURSE AMONGTHE LARGEST CITIES IN THECOUNTRY WITHOUT LOCAL CONTROL OFITS POLICEOR FCE A FIVE-PERSONCOMMISSION WITH MEMBERSAPPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR RUNTHE DEPARTMENT MAYOR L