KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree on Wednesday announced an “expansion” of his department’s Conviction Integrity Unit in an effort to hold law enforcement accountable.
With its new independent investigative arm, the unit will be renamed the Community Integrity Unit.
Dupree said the new unit will enact a hotline, in English and Spanish, as well as an email account where people can report instances of excessive force or misconduct by the police.
The reports will go directly to the DA’s office, which will investigate them.
Dupree said he is requesting three certified law enforcement officers whose only jobs will be to investigate the claims.
“If we are to really bring about systematic change, we must change the systems that allowed the acts of a few bad to go unseen and unchecked,” Dupree said.
Dupree said he is working with area police and sheriff departments to “jointly facilitate this unit, so that the community can see transparency and fairness.”
The DA also has meetings set with Mayor David Alvey and Unified Government commissioners.
“It is my hope that we are not met with, again, the blunt force of the past — and maybe the system will change,” Dupree said. “If we are to have a fair and just system that works the same for black, brown and white folks, we must have real reform, not just sentimental emotions.”
The Conviction Integrity Unit was previously established to identify wrongful convictions.
The Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity, “MORE-squared” were pleased to learn about Dupree's expansion.
In a statement the advocacy organization wrote:
"It was just over a year ago when we began our public actions, aiming demands at Mayor Alvey, including:
·Fire the Chief of Police Terry Ziegler (*we celebrated his announced retirement later in the summer);
·Fund and/ or establish a Bilingual Hotline independent of the KCKPD; and
·Call for an outside entity to investigate police brutality, corruption, and other citizen complaints about law enforcement in Wyandotte CO.
With today’s announcement from DA Dupree, our demands are nearly met. Now, Mayor Alvey, who we have brought these demands to for exactly one year, has the opportunity to close the deal for the safety, welfare and good will of all people of Wyandotte County, especially Kansas City, KS, by fully funding the FTE and part time positions as laid out in the plan of DA Dupree. We will be here to see this through."
Dupree said he has submitted a formal budget amendment to fund the expansion.
