KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A proposed Kansas City, Missouri, ordinance could put $2.1 million in unappropriated city funding from the American Rescue Plan toward the 2021-22 police academy.
District 1 Councilwoman Heather Hall presented the ordinance to the KCMO Board of Police Commissioners on Tuesday and said it will put more officers on the streets and reduce wait times.
"Myself and my colleagues – Councilman [sic] [Teresa] Loar, Councilman [Dan] Fowler, Councilman [Kevin] O'Neill – believed the people of the Northland especially, but also people in every part of the city, are desperately needing officers in the city," Hall said.
The academy could accept up to 104 possible recruits. Those who graduate would be on the streets as a police officer within 10 months.
KCPD said the department has seen a 4.6% reduction in staffing. In 2021, they lost 120 members, but hired 19. In 2019, they lost 180 members, but hired 200.
"It affects us over here in the Black community because response time was already one thing, but now it's even worse," said Pat Clarke, a leader in the Oak Park neighborhood.
Clarke said the neighborhood has only two police officers during the weekends – more often when those officers have to respond to other incidents in the city.
The neighborhood, according to Clarke, would benefit from officers who are invested in making community connections and who children can relate to.
"We've got some good ones around here," Clarke said. "Color is always a conversation, but if you're a police officer and you're a good one, hey look – It don't matter to us. But again, we'd like to see somebody who looks like us."
The legal review committee will vote on the ordinance in three weeks, and would advance to the full council if it receives three 'yes' votes in committee.
Hall said she hoped it would've been put into the finance committee, which meets more often.
"My fear is that it'll be a while before it comes out of committee. And we can't wait," Hall said. "The people of Kansas City need more policemen on the street."
