KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department Maj. Jan Zimmerman recalls her time with the department like it was yesterday.
She started as a dispatcher in 1979, decided to enroll in the academy and then went onto serve three decades in the ranks.
“It’s hard to describe being a part of a family — that’s why any loss is really difficult,” Zimmerman said.
Especially the loss of an officer she used to work with.
Zimmerman remembers officer James Muhlbauer, who was killed in the line of duty Wednesday night.
“He had been on the department a number of years, and so I definitely knew who he was,” Zimmerman said. “An awesome officer, you know, worked hard and had a really great career and it’s a terrible loss for the department and the community.”
After retiring from KCPD, Zimmerman went onto serve as the Chief of Police for the City of Raymore.
She put into perspective the toll tragedies like this take on a department.
“We’re not naive enough to think that we’re not going to lose somebody," Zimmerman said. "You know, you pray that it will never happen, but you just try to prepare yourself as best you can and provide as much support you can because I guarantee you all the people with KCPD are hurting today."
Zimmerman now works with the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission.
One of the programs it provides is called the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment, an initiative that was started in 2003 to pay a benefit to the families of fallen first-responders.
If any member of the local police, fire and EMS in the covered 12 counties lose their life in the line of duty, the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission will be there within 24 to 48 hours to provide the family with $25,000.
“The purpose of that quick response is to make sure that those families aren’t worried about how they’re going to pay the rent, or how they’re going to buy groceries," Zimmerman said. "There are all of those immediate needs and we don’t want them thinking about money at a time when they have so much else to worry about."
All of the money that is used for the SAFE fund comes from donations and fundraising events like Guns and Hoses.
“The crime commission’s website is kc-crime.org, and there’s actually a button right on our website where they can donate directly to make sure that there’s funds available when we lose a first responder,” Zimmerman said.
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