COVID-19 impact could lead to $10.6M budget cut, fewer cops on KC streets: deputy chief
As some debate whether it’s wise to cut funding to the Kansas City Police Department, the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic may have already made that decision for policy makers.
More than 200 positions — about 10% of the department’s workforce — may have to be cut to meet the city administration’s request that, as an “exercise,” all city departments make plans for 4.5% cuts in their budgets.
As more than 86.5% of the police department’s budget is devoted to personnel, the only way too accomplish the $10.6 million reduction that the city requested the department contemplate is to cut officers and civilian staff, Deputy Chief Karen True told the board of police commissioners Tuesday.
In all, 212 positions would need to be eliminated, True said, 89 of which are currently vacant. The department has instituted a hiring freeze for the rest of the fiscal year and canceled two of its cadet classes and hopes that the rest of the reductions could be accomplished through attrition and perhaps an early-retirement plan.
But those details have not been worked out.
The City Council is set to discuss the impact that such cuts would have on the police and other departments next week, True said.
The proposed cuts come as some city leaders are asking the department to increase officer training and adopt different approaches to policing as departments nationwide are being told they should reinvent themselves in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
Commission vice president Mark Tolbert said the timing of the cuts couldn’t be worse.
“They can’t ask us to do more with less,” he said.
Commissioner Nathan Garrett said such deep cuts in the police force are concerning at a time when murders and other violent crimes are on the rise.
“We’re either going to police this city or we’re not,” he said.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 2:09 PM.
