police

St. Louis argues that Missouri legislators violated the state constitution by creating an unfunded mandate. The 2021 law requires cities to give officers written notice of an allegation before starting an investigation, and limits misconduct investigations to 90 days.

Kansas City is on track to break its homicide record this year, and a rise in gun violence has caused another disturbing trend: Hundreds of people every year are shot and survive. They're often left with severe physical and mental injuries. Plus: Kansas City and other places in the Midwest are slow to embrace composting.

Mayor Quinton Lucas is challenging a November 2022 statewide vote that increased the minimum percentage of its budget Kansas City must spend on its police department. Kansas City is the only major city in the U.S. that doesn’t control its police, so while City Council writes the checks, it can't decide how the funds are spent.

Homicides could set a record again this year as non-fatal shootings are down from last year, likely because of deadlier guns on Kansas City's streets. But overall, since 2015, shootings that leave a survivor are rising slightly — meaning more families are struggling with the physical and mental wounds they cause.

A process called civil asset forfeiture allows Kansas police to take money, cars and other property from citizens — even if they're never convicted of a crime. Police say it stops criminals, but opponents say law enforcement takes too much, without enough oversight.

Over the course of a three-and-a-half year period, Kansas police have taken more than $25 million in property and cash believed to be part of a crime — even if the victims are never charged. But critics say that civil asset forfeiture is being used unnecessarily and without proper oversight.

Donchez became Overland Park’s Police Chief in October 2014. During his tenure, the police department was investigated by the FBI for the fatal police shooting of John Albers. Donchez came under fire for his handling of the case, leading to public calls for his resignation.

Missouri joined a handful of states labeling emergency dispatchers as "first responders." Along with the new label comes advanced access to mental health resources and the formal naming of PTSD as an occupational hazard for the profession.

Police can take money, cars and other property from Kansans through a process called civil asset forfeiture. Police say it’s a tool that stops criminals. But opponents say law enforcement takes too much.

Eric Devalkanaere, found guilty in November 2021 of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb, is appealing his conviction. As protestors rallied on the street, a three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals questioned his attorneys on his version of what happened, including if Lamb was armed.

Records obtained by the Missouri Independent show that, during a software transition in 2021, the Kansas City Police department had been warned of possible technical issues that could lead to false arrests, but a court official said those risks were “ignored.”

Since she was appointed head of the Kansas City Police Department eight months ago, Chief Stacey Graves said, reducing violent crime continues to be the top priority.