KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.
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Grandview is one of the first 15 cities in Missouri to earn the Blue Shield Community designation under Gov. Mike Kehoe's new initiative to support law enforcement.
"We have a motto here: 'Move to the badge,'" said Grandview Police Chief Charlie Iseman.
The Blue Shield designation, part of Kehoe's plan announced in January, recognizes cities demonstrating strong community support for their police departments. In return, these communities may receive grant funding to improve their departments.
"It's the daily interactions, that's what really pays off, that change the perception of policing," Iseman explained.
The initiative aligns with Kehoe's commitment made when he took over as governor.
"To make Missouri a place where it's easier to be a cop than a criminal," Kehoe said at the time.
Chief Iseman emphasized earning the designation required demonstrating genuine community support, participating in policing initiatives, having a recruitment and retention program and making extraordinary investments in public safety in the last five years, including support for the department in the city's latest budget.
"They want some law and order, parameters and people held accountable," he said. "It's not just a title."
Grandview's application highlighted successful partnerships with schools and faith leaders, along with significant financial backing from the city government.
"I was actually surprised just in four years our budget has gone up by 40%," Iseman said.
The increased funding allowed the department to add more officers, hire a crime analyst and invest in new technology.
Other items to help the department include license plate readers throughout the city and new body-worn cameras, Iseman said.
Major crimes in Grandview decreased by 6% last year.
While the exact amount of grant funding available to Blue Shield Communities remains undetermined, Kehoe is pursuing $10 million for the program.
Iseman told KSHB reporter Megan Abundis, "I don't have huge expectations. What I see from the governor's office, it's supposed to be for training and equipment. Training is great, but I always say it's nice to have the cars, cameras and weapons. But really, I say our biggest asset is our people. So if we can get dollars to help advance our folks, that's going to be huge, help them grow."
Gabby Picard, spokesperson for Gov. Kehoe, said the application process is open until June 1.
"Those that are approved will be recognized on DPS social media moving forward," Picard said. "At this time, no communities have been denied."
She said the funding is still working its way through the legislative process, and if approved by the legislature, it will be available via grants to the communities that have been approved for the Blue Shield designation.
"We will be working on that grant requirements soon and will be available to apply for in July," Picard said.
More information on the program can be found here.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department has not applied. A department spokesperson explained why to Abundis.
"Kansas City is deeply committed to public safety, as demonstrated by our voters' recent renewal of the Public Safety Sales Tax. Our 2025-26 city budget reflects this commitment, allocating nearly $700 million toward essential public safety infrastructure and services throughout Kansas City—an increase of over $70 million from the previous year.
"Mayor Lucas is dedicated to maximizing the effectiveness of our secured funding to address the public safety needs of Kansas City through our existing frameworks and partnerships. We will continue to evaluate all available resources and programs that might benefit Kansas City residents as we move forward with our current public safety initiatives and investments."
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