KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With Kansas City, Missouri, averaging a homicide almost every two days in 2020, the City Council voted on Thursday to approve a study looking into whether or not the police department should be locally controlled.
Following the Pendergast era of the city, the police department has been overseen for more than 80 years by members of the Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the Missouri governor.
However, with more than 20 homicides in KCMO this year, discussions continue over whether or not the city should have more control over its police force.
Supporters believe local control could make police more accountable to elected city leaders.
On Thursday, City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson proposed the study that would involve reaching out to community leaders for input.
The measure passed on a 9-3 vote, with Mayor Quinton Lucas supporting the study.
“We’ll have members of the police department, the community, and lots of folks that are involved,” he said. “Our goal is to ask deep and thoughtful questions about how we do things in KC with the police department, the health department, social services, and so many others.”
Despite the overwhelming approval of the study, some criticized the decision.
“People should be upset. People should be tired of us wasting time,” City Councilman Brandon Ellington said afterward. “The proof is in the pudding. We know we have a hundred plus murders a year. I don’t need to study that. I know it’s not working.”
Ellington told 41 Action News that the city already has enough power to address police and crime, and believed that time could be better spent examining other areas.
“If we want the policies and procedures to be changed, the mayor, along with the board can do that. They can change every policy and every procedure they have,” he said. “We need to appropriate funding in areas when it comes to crime prevention and evidence-based programs.”
With the plan now approved, the study will be conducted over the next several months.
The effort will also examine the effectiveness of gun violence programs in the city.
Moving forward, Lucas said the main goal was to find the best way to keep Kansas City safe.
“What I would want us to see is coming up with the best solutions possible, rather than just a Band-Aid or quick fix,” he said.
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