Kansas City, MO – Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser and the Kansas City Police governing board are on record opposing giving up state control of the department.
Both Kansas City and St. Louis police departments are controlled by boards appointed by the governor. The St. Louis mayor has been pressing for local control. But not Funkhouser, who told the commission last Friday the department has improved in performance the last decade.
"The point is to hold the department accountable to the citizens of Kansas City, Missouri," says Funkhouser. "I would argue that this department is extremely responsive...and it has not always been so."
Funkhouser referred to his years as city auditor. "I have been one of the most severe critics of this department, I made a livin' criticizing this department."
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has made no move to change the historic state-controlled operation of either city department.