KANSAS CITY, Mo — The Kansas City Police Department is increasing its visibility in the LGBTQ+ community.
The department recently led the Pride parade and walked in the KC AIDS walk for the first time in 35 years.
“Creating this position sends a clear message to the LGBTQ+ community that [Chief Graves] wants to build a better relationship with them, a better relationship between the department and them,” KCPD Ofc. Alex Saragusa said. “My position is one of those ways to try and rebuild those connections and continue the positive relationships we’ve had with the community.”
Saragusa is the department’s first full-time LGBTQ+ liaison officer within the community engagement division.
“I’m a member of the LGBTQ+ community, so getting to work with the community that I get to see on my off time is amazing,” Saragusa said.
After graduating from the academy in 2017, Saragusa worked in the metro and central divisions before taking on the liaison role.
KCPD created its LGBTQ+ liaison officer position less than a year ago. It’s one of very few full-time positions in the Kansas City area.
“I think now having a position that the community knows they can reach out to directly has increased the reporting of cases, and when something does happen, they know to reach out directly to me,” he said. “They can help get answers to their questions and get someone to help walk them through the case that they’re working on.”
Saragusa said the department is taking a proactive approach to creating safe environments in the LGBTQ+ community.
“If you are always responding to stuff after it happens there’s no way to kind of prevent it," he said. "And that’s the goal — to prevent these incidents from happening."
Their outreach includes department-sponsored training for active shooters, CPR, Stop the Bleed and recognizing hate crimes and how to report them.
KCPD is sponsoring a free LGBTQIA+ community self-defense and personal safety course. They’re holding the event at the regional police academy off Pleasant Valley Road on June 24 from 8 a.m. to noon.
You can sign up by emailing Angela.McCune@KCPD.org or calling 816-413-3505 with any questions.
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