KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There are concerns over losing the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department's foot patrol.
On Wednesday, Mayor Quinton Lucas pointed to an approved budget for more officers instead of disbanding this patrol.
Lucas took to social media, writing the patrol has "kept our residents and visitors safer for generations."
The unit that consists of three officers and a sergeant operates out of 1016-A Central Avenue.
But once those officers retire at the end of the year, there's no one else to replace them.
"The staffing issue is a very serious and real issue," KCPD Chief Rick Smith said as he addressed the Board of Police Commissioners in September.
Although he announced the disbandment almost a month ago, there are now calls to reverse course.
"The very aspect that you know, we want community engagement, is the very things that are getting hit the hardest as we try and respond to the citizens' need for 911 calls," Smith told the board.
The downtown foot patrol unit has been around for at least half a century.
Recently, according to The Kansas City Star, a group of business leaders including Shirley Helzberg sent a letter to Smith saying that now is the wrong time to disband the unit and asked for a meeting with the chief to address their concerns.
Over the phone, Helzberg reiterated to KSHB 41 News the patrol's importance in keeping the downtown corridor safe.
But some who live and work in the area barely notice the unit's presence
"For the most part, I might see parking cops over here, but I don't really see anything else — it's like the foot patrols are not around," said Joshua Reilly, who works in downtown KCMO.
Reilly does notice the so-called community ambassadors that are a part of the Downtown Council of Kansas City.
"They’re on the soft side of security — there on the backside of it, the police do the real work," said Sean O’Byrne, vice president of Business Development with the Downtown Council of Kansas City.
Over the years, the council has partnered with KCPD to attract more people to work and live in the area.
"And we understand that there's going to be some cuts. But we also understand that we can work with that and we can make it work," O’Byrne said.
Smith has warned that other units like D.A.R.E and the Police Athletic League may face a similar future like the downtown foot patrol if staffing isn't beefed up.
