Lucas wants delay, so Kansas Citians won’t vote on police local control this fall
The question of whether Kansas Citians want the city to gain local control of the police department will not be on the Nov. 3 ballot as some had hoped.
Mayor Quinton Lucas had introduced an ordinance that would have asked voters whether the city should prioritize lobbying the state legislature to acquire local control of the Kansas City Police Department.
But Tuesday, on Lucas’ request, the City Council’s Special Committee for Legal Review, responsible for hearing legislative proposals, held the measure. That means the ordinance cannot be certified in time for the November election.
“The goal there being that we can have more discussion both on it as a legislative priority in connection with our other legislative priorities,” Lucas said, “and also gives us more time to talk about, kind of, the path forward that we’d like to work on.”
To establish local control in Kansas City, the Missouri General Assembly would have to change the state law, or a citizen petition could place the measure on a statewide ballot.
Councilwoman Heather Hall, 1st District, said the delay would give council members time to “make some more thoughtful, deliberative decisions.”
Even had the ordinance been on the ballot, and Kansas Citians passed it, it would not have “changed the structure of the police department,” said Councilwoman Andrea Bough, 6th District-at-large.
“There are so many more steps,” she said.
Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McManus, 6th District, reiterated that point, saying that gaining local control of the police department is likely a “multi-year process.”
“We could still discuss having it as a legislative priority,” he said. “Ultimately, though, if people really want to pursue this, it’s a much bigger undertaking than … considering one or two pieces of legislation.”
If the City Council pursues local control, McManus said, it will likely be through the ballot box.
“At the end of the day, it’s not something that one or two or 13 people are going to decide,” he said. “It shouldn’t be.”
The City Council, however, could still establish local control as a priority, without a public vote, through a resolution introduced by Councilman Eric Bunch, 4th District. It was held for a later committee hearing.
“In the times that we’re in right now, I think this discussion is one of the most important things that we’ll be dealing with in terms of our list of priorities going to Jefferson City, whether you believe we should pass this or not,” said Lee Barnes, 5th District at-large.
Local control of the police department was among the reform demands from clergy, civil rights groups and protesters who gathered this spring on the Country Club Plaza following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Kansas City is the only city in Missouri, and one of the largest cities in the U.S., that doesn’t have local control of its police department. Instead, the force is controlled by a five-member board appointed by the governor. As mayor, Lucas sits on the board.
The police department is considered a state agency but is funded by Kansas City taxpayers. It was budgeted to get $273 million this fiscal year, which amounts to 16% of the city’s $1.7 billion budget.
However, the city has little control over how those dollars are spent.
In a November blog post, Police Chief Rick Smith said of the department’s governance model: “Many say that model is outdated. We believe, however, that it has served the people of Kansas City well for 80 years and will continue to do so.”
In a statement to council members last month, Smith said KCPD is held to a higher standard than St. Louis police because of state control. St. Louis has seen an increase in crime and debt because of local control, he said.
The department has been run under the current model since 1939.
In 2012, Missouri voters granted St. Louis the authority to run its police force. St. Louis initiated a local ballot proposal prior to taking the measure to a statewide vote. That measure was supported by the local police union.
