kcpd

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.

The Sun Fresh at 31st Street and Prospect Avenue is one of the only grocery stores for miles, and has been struggling to fill shelves recently despite 10 years of taxpayer money to renovate it and keep it in business.

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.

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.

The Kansas City Police Department created an independent missing persons unit in 2023. Two years later, the department reports progress in its effort to solve missing persons cases. But many in the Black community say the numbers mask impatience and frustration over a lack of attention to cases that drag on for decades.

Kansas Citians are fed up with dangerous and reckless street racing and stunt driving, which led to the injury of one officer earlier this month. KCPD Police Chief Stacey Graves said the department has operations planned to curb it, and are working with elected officials to increase penalties for participants and spectators.

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.