Kansas City Police Department

A 10-month KCUR investigation revealed that the Kansas City Police Department accepts liability for approximately two wrecks per month. Over three years, the department paid out more than $1 million in legal settlements.

Simone held the underboss spot for 30 years, and ran the Civella crime family’s vast gambling empire in the 1970s.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of two longtime police reform advocates says the takeover violates a ban on special laws and amounts to an unfunded mandate. Multiple lawsuits have previously challenged Missouri's control of Kansas City Police.

During a public budget hearing, Kansas City Police budget officials told city council that $3.5 million would be enough to cover legal expenses. Two months later, the board announced $18.1 million in lawsuit settlements — a surprise to city officials, who don't have any control over the department.

Crime around the Linwood Shopping Center is steering customers away from the Sun Fresh grocery store at 31st Street and Prospect Avenue. The store's operators say the city needs to address infrastructure and public safety improvements in the area.

Black people are reported missing in higher numbers than white people relative to their population, according to recent data. Some families believe the newly reinstated Missing Persons Unit of the Kansas City Police Department isn’t doing enough to address that. Plus: How the University of Missouri is handling reports of immigration enforcement authorities picking up college students.

A civil rights lawsuit is costing the KCPD and the city's Board of Police Commissioners $4.1 million. An attorney for the family of Cameron Lamb, who was killed by a white detective in 2019, said they're happy to have the "political football" of the case behind them.

Cameron Lamb's mother settled her lawsuit over then-KCPD detective Eric DeValkenaere's shooting of her son for $4.1 million. Money will also go to the mothers of Lamb's children.

Kansas City voters will decide on April 8 whether to renew the public safety sales tax for 20 more years. Officials plan to use the bulk of the money to build a new municipal detention center. Despite concerns about property crime and gun violence, some residents don’t want a new jail built.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will no longer be under the control of the mayor’s office and instead will be overseen by a governor-appointed board. It's similar to the Confederate-era system that manages Kansas City Police.

The Kansas City Council passed a $2.5 billion budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, its largest ever. The police department will get even more money than before, while council members will discuss a proposal next week to fully fund the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in the short term.

Placing the St. Louis Police Department under a state-appointed board has been a priority for Gov. Mike Kehoe. The Republican governor said that removing local control will improve safety, despite the evidence in Kansas City, whose police is already under a similar system.