kcpd

With an estimated 94,000 automated license plate readers in America, police and federal agents can almost track your movements from coast to coast. The cameras have been controversial in cities like Lenexa, Kansas, and Weston, Missouri, and misused by law enforcement in cities across both states.

All 1,100 Kansas City police officers are on duty, there are cops from 11 states helping and KCPD's three helicopters are constantly in the air. The city has been mostly peaceful, with the major exception of a string of shootings along highways before the Argentina-Algeria match. That suspect was found dead by police on Wednesday.

The Kansas City Police Department says there was a 200% jump in cocaine seizures in 2025. KCPD says it was warned to anticipate a spike as the World Cup approaches.

Manny Abarca, now running for Jackson County executive, was banned from Paseo Academy for one academic year for violating a Kansas City Public Schools policy that requires “appropriate behavior” by guests.

Violent crime is down in Kansas City, and leaders point to the success of SAVE KC, a focused deterrence program that helps support people at-risk or associated with violence change the trajectory of their life.

Legal settlements paid by the Kansas City Police Department for fatal shootings and other excessive force cases are among the reasons Chief Stacey Graves has called for “drastic” cuts. The mayor and city council will soon attempt to take back some control of the purse strings.

At his State of the City address, Mayor Quinton Lucas detailed his priorities for the end of his term and previewed the city’s budget for the next fiscal year, which will see cuts or stagnation in most departments but a major increase in police funding.

Officer Blayne Newton wasn’t supposed to be in Jackson County in June 2023 when he killed two people and injured a third. Prosecutors there were refusing to take his cases because of his history of using excessive force.

Acknowledging that the decision might be "deeply painful" for the victims' families, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced that she won’t file charges in an incident in which Officer Blayne Newton killed two and injured a third person, despite her concerns about his behavior. Newton, a nine-year KCPD veteran, is still on the force.

Replacing the French blue shirt and wool pants worn since 1984, the new uniform is all navy blue and has a freshly designed shoulder patch. “The look and the feel of our police force is changing,” said Tom Whittaker, chair of the Board of Police Commissioners.

The Kansas City Police Department got money from the city and the police foundation to grow its fleet of drones and expand its use of an AI information-sharing software. This and similar technology is used in departments across the country as part of a “drones as first responders” program.

The Kansas City Police Department is asking for a 21.6% increase in funding for next fiscal year, despite the city’s budget woes. The money is needed for personnel costs, legal settlements, and hiring more officers and 911 call-takers, police said.