KC Mayor Lucas frustrated with lack of police reform. Why is Chief Rick Smith stalling?

As the most violent year in Kansas City history comes to a close amid a chorus of calls for police reform and new leadership in the city’s police department, Chief Rick Smith appears poised to end 2020 as committed as ever to the status quo.

Incredibly, a year that has seen a record 177 homicides in Kansas City and growing demands for police accountability will likely end without major policy shifts or much progress to speak of.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas continues to push for needed changes, but he is a lone voice on the five-member Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, which is appointed by the Missouri governor.

After months of protests against police brutality and discussions about reforms, several measures introduced by Lucas aimed at building trust and improving the Kansas City Police Department’s relationship with the community have been largely ignored.

In recent weeks, police officials have provided updates on community engagement efforts and have referred officer-involved shootings to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for investigation. But numerous other measures have stalled or progressed ever so slowly, including the full implementation of body cameras, protections for whistleblowers and an independent citizen complaint process.

Some patrol officers have been equipped with body-worn technology, department officials said, but a full rollout isn’t expected until the new year.

Lucas is frustrated by the slow pace of progress. And he should be.

But what are his options? Any reform measures must be reviewed, modified and agreed upon by the police department itself, before being sent back to the board for approval — a fatally flawed arrangement that gives Smith unchecked power and the ability to delay indefinitely.

So, what’s the holdup? Conveniently, no one is saying.

No comment from KCPD board president, lawyer

Police department officials were tight-lipped, referring questions to the board of commissioners. Board President Don Wagner and legal counsel David Kenner declined to comment.

“The board and the department continue to have discussions about these issues and are working on incorporating many of them into various policies and procedures,” a police board official wrote in an email.

Unless other police commissioners are willing to set deadlines and demand action, Smith seems content to stick with what’s not working.

“These issues arose in May and June,” Lucas said. “Why does it take months for things to change? It’s disappointing.”

Smith’s lack of action is indefensible. And the list of stalled reforms continues to grow.

In June, the Kansas City Police Department was ordered to reverse its policy of not sending probable cause statements to prosecutors in officer-involved shootings. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has investigated major use-of-force incidents since the summer, but an independent, outside review process has yet to be codified into policy, according to the mayor’s office.

A revamped use-of-force policy is under review and is expected to be presented for a vote at the next Board of Police Commissioners meeting, department officials said.

The department was also required to review its use of tear gas and other projectiles during protests and other large gatherings and determine ways to restrict their use. As of today, there still is no written policy.

Lucas also introduced a proposal that would protect whistleblowers by requiring an officer to intervene in excessive force cases. That measure has gone nowhere.

No outside oversight of law enforcement

The Office of Community Complaints, the civilian oversight agency that investigates allegations of misconduct against Kansas City police officers, remains as toothless and ineffectual as ever. Demands for an overhaul and an independent process have been disregarded.

A public-facing dashboard approved by the City Council this summer has yet to materialize. Data on use-of-force incidents, traffic and pedestrian stops, closed citizen complaints, and police shootings would be maintained by DataKC and publicly available, under the resolution.

The onus, once again, is on Smith, who has long been resistant to transparency and accountability.

“There needs to be a tough conversation to make sure we are doing everything in our power to hold (police) accountable,” community activist Justice Horn of Kansas City said. “If you are not doing wrong, what do you have to hide?”

Local control of the police department is a legislative priority for the Kansas City Council. But efforts to convince the Republican-controlled Missouri General Assembly to let Kansas City run its own police department have gotten no traction. Unless lawmakers suddenly do an about-face, local control remains a distant possibility.

Without help from Jefferson City, the responsibility for enacting substantive changes rests with Smith and the police board. And in a year that saw record homicides and nationwide momentum for police reform, these leaders have failed Kansas City at every turn.

This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM.