UMKC students voiced outrage and planned to protest the decision to hire retired Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCPD) Captain Daniel Graves, who backed a former detective convicted in the 2019 killing of a Black man.
In 2021, Graves wrote a letter of support for Eric DeValkenaere, a former KCPD detective convicted of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb, stating that the prosecution of DeValkenaere was “politically motivated,” that he was not a public safety threat and requesting that the former detective remain out of jail pending his appeal.
“This is not a man who would intentionally hurt someone unprovoked or with malice,” Graves wrote. “Never a man of recklessness, ineptitude or trial.”
DeValkenaere was found guilty of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in November 2021. Presiding Judge Dale Youngs determined that DeValkenaere and his partner, Sergeant Troy Schwalm, entered the property without probable cause or an issued warrant.
UMKC’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) will rally against the hiring decision of Graves on May 5 at 12 p.m., outside the UMKC Police Station.
Ainsley Heffern, a freshman studying sociology, stated they felt “extremely disappointed” but not surprised upon hearing the announcement.
“If we have a chief of police who is basically okay with Black people being murdered by the police, what does that say about how UMKC values their diverse students?” Heffern said. “UMKC loves to preach about diversity, but when it comes down to protecting the diverse student body – they don’t care.”
Briar Craft, a freshman in criminal justice and political science, said the decision horrified and enraged them. They stated that Graves has failed to demonstrate an “objective version of justice” after his letter of support for DeValkenaere.
“[DeValkenaere] was charged for his crimes – proven in a court of law – that he was guilty for this crime. And yet, Daniel Graves still defended this man,” Craft said. “He does not care for actual justice. He cares for his own biased version of it.”
For his role as UMKCPD police chief, Graves stated plans to hold the department to its highest standard, committed to transparency, communication and the measured responses necessary in campus policing.
“I believe policing is at its best when it’s grounded in service, trust and integrity,” Graves said. “To the UMKC community – you have my commitment that we will serve with respect, dedication and fairness every single day.”
Alyssa Lally, UMKC’s assistant spokesperson, commented on Graves’ actions.
“Graves has said he wrote the letter as a character reference for an appeals hearing, expressing his personal experiences on an officer he had worked closely with in the KCPD for more than a decade,” Lally said.
Graves is married to Police Chief Stacey Graves, who has served with the KCPD department for nearly 30 years.
Before his retirement in 2023, Graves appeared to be working off-duty when he accompanied Taylor Swift at the Kansas City Chiefs game in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The department policy only allows officers to work within the city limits of Kansas City and prohibits them “to act as private security personnel.”
KCPD stated that the controversy did not impact Graves’ decision to retire.
This story was originally published by Roo News.
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