The Kansas City Council has come up with a compromise they hope will satisfy those who wanted the new East Patrol police station named after Leon Jordan, a former police officer and the founder of Freedom, Inc, while also satisfying those who opposed it.
Councilman Jermaine Reed explained the idea: name the campus, not the police station.
A parade of black community leaders and former council members spoke in favor of the naming to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. All cited the historic contributions made by Jordan to the city and to law enforcement.
Only one person who testified was against naming the campus after Jordan. She said it was because it would tarnish the civil rights leader's reputation to put his name on a facility the neighborhood didn't want.
Former council member Sharon Sanders Brooks said naming the campus for Jordan would not only honor history, but also help police in their minority recruiting efforts.
Councilwoman Melba Curls had a message for those who didn’t like setting a precedent.
"There's a first time for everything, and this is the time to do that: to name the campus after Leon Jordan," said Curls.
The committee passed the compromise plan and sent it to the full council for a vote next Thursday.
