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Kansas City Mayor Defends Reallocation Of Police Budget Amidst Lawsuit

By Steve Kraske,

Published June 3, 2021 at 6:55 AM CDT

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Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the proposed reallocation of funds for the city's police department is "fundamentally about policing and how we can do better after years of status quo."

A Jackson County judge postponed a hearing in the lawsuit the Board of Police Commissioners has brought against the city to regain control of the money.

The ordinances passed by the city council would create a Community Services and a Prevention Fund which the city and police board can manage as well as add $3 million for a police recruit class. Mayor Lucas said the measures are to ensure transparency and that police department programs Kansas Citians care about continue to be funded.

Quinton Lucas, mayor, Kansas City, Missouri

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Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Zach Wilson

As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.

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Chris Young

Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.

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