Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith announced Friday that he will retire on April 22. The news came just a day after Kansas City Council passed a budgetthat includes $269 million for police, above the 20% minimum required by Missouri law.
Missouri Senate Majority Whip Tony Luetkemeyer, a Parkville Republican, has pushed for the state legislature to pass a law increasing the amount of money Kansas City is required to dedicate to police — since it's a state-appointed board, not city leaders, who control the KCPD.
As Luetkemeyer wants to keep it that way: "What is being promoted in City Hall is the notion of local political control... whether or not we believe that the largest police department in the state of Missouri should be controlled by politicians in City Hall in Kansas City. And my answer to that is absolutely not."
KCUR's Brian Ellison speaks with Luetkemeyer about his push for more city funding for police, why so little has gotten done in the Missouri Senate this year, and the recent allegations against former governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Eric Greitens.
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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love with Trevor Grandin and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.
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