police

The Independence Police Department internal affairs commander says the city discriminated against older officers and looked the other way on deputy chiefs’ drunken driving incidents.

Newly appointed University of Missouri-Kansas City Police Chief Daniel Graves faces opposition from the university's student body. In 2021, Graves wrote a letter advocating for former Kansas City Police Detective Eric DeValkenaere, who was convicted of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.

Newly appointed University of Missouri-Kansas City Police Chief Daniel Graves wrote a 2021 letter advocating for former Kansas City Police Detective Eric DeValkenaere, who was convicted of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb. Students plan to organize a protest against Graves' hiring.

The lawsuit, against the police board and an officer, alleges excessive force, among other claims.

Legislation passed by the Missouri House on Thursday is designed to support people with disabilities or mental or physical health conditions that could impair their ability to communicate with officers.

In 2022, Joplin Police sniper Keaton Siebanaler mistakenly shot and killed 2-year old Clesslynn Crawford during a hostage standoff. For almost four years, the city of Joplin fiercely guarded the identity of "Sniper 1." But KCUR and The Midwest Newsroom fought in court to name Siebanaler — who was just hired by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Kansas lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's veto to force the bill into law. Republican leaders say it's intended to prevent "radical protesters" from interfering with law enforcement or ICE actions. But press advocates say it's unconstitutional.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a law last year that took direct control of the police department away from the mayor’s office and shifted it to a board mostly appointed by the governor. It's similar to the system in place in Kansas City, which itself has been the subject of multiple lawsuits.

Kansas City recently passed a $2.6 billion spending plan that keeps expenses relatively flat. But, some departments like police are still seeing growth, despite some opposition. We'll break down the city's spending and why you should care about it.

Kansas City's spending will remain relatively flat compared to previous years as the city tries to rein in its deficit. Still, some areas, like police spending, have continued to increase.

A Syracuse University researcher says new ICE agreements spreading across Missouri will shift immigration enforcement onto local police — with possible consequences for towns and taxpayers.

Kansas City was one of many U.S. cities with laws against jaywalking until advocates realized that police were mostly handing out tickets to Black men. Here's how Kansas City repealed its ban and reclaimed the right to jaywalk.