In 2013 lawsuit, former deputy chief said KCPD unfairly disciplines Black officers

Kevin Masters was a deputy chief with the Kansas City Police Department in 2013 when he filed a lawsuit alleging he was unfairly disciplined.

A survey described in court documents came to light during Masters’ federal lawsuit which showed Black officers were more likely to be disciplined than white ones.

During a deposition, Masters’ attorney, Basil North, said Black employees, whether civilian or law enforcement, were disciplined at higher rates. White employees made up 84% of law enforcement personnel but received 76% of the discipline, according to the survey.

Just 24 percent of KCPD survey respondents said the disciplinary process was fair, while 77% said it was not. Some said there was a lack of consistency in discipline between patrol stations, while others thought commanders were not reprimanded.

The survey was part of an overall examination of department operations that also included retention, promotion and other areas.

In addition, the survey showed that a large number of respondents believed disciplinary action depended largely on “the person’s race, sex and who the person was friends with.”

“Some citing that if you know the right people, an incident is never put on paper,” the results stated.

Several current and former KCPD employees cited the study in interviews with The Star. When The Star filed a records request for the study, KCPD said no “disciplinary study” existed, but that it was part of a broader assessment done by a consulting group that was used to establish a task force.

Read the lawsuit here:

This story was originally published March 27, 2022 at 5:00 AM.