KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Staff who work at the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department will now be able to live up to 30 miles outside the city limit following the approval of new residency requirements from the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.
Police officers, along with civilian employees and command staff, will now be allowed to live 30 miles outside the city limits of KCMO.
That would allow staff to move to many other cities in the area, like Weston and Platte City. The policy also opens up staff to live on the Kansas side of the state like Prairie Village and others.
The lifted requirement comes as the department has faced significant struggles recruiting new officers, but KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas wasn't happy about the change.
"The Police Board’s decision on police residency in Kansas up to 30 miles away is a mistake," the mayor said on social media. "At a time when our community is seeking closer connections with those who police our neighborhoods, the board’s decision will build a less diverse department less familiar with Kansas City."
The Police Board’s decision on police residency in Kansas up to 30 miles away is a mistake. At a time when our community is seeking closer connections with those who police our neighborhoods, the board’s decision will build a less diverse department less familiar with Kansas City
— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) April 19, 2022
