Mayor Quinton Lucas on KCPD

>> KANSAS CITY MISSOURI IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY THAT DOEAN’T RUN ITS POLICE DEPARTMENT. A STATE-RUN COMMISSION DOES. IT’S BEEN THAT WAY FOR GENERATIONS. THAT’S WHERE WE PICK BACK UP OUR ’HEART OF THE MATTER’ CONVERSATION WITH KANSAS CITY MISSOURI MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS. KANSAS CITY LOST LOCAL CONTROL OF ITS POLICE DEPARTMENT. WILL THAT EVER CHANGE AND DO YOU THINK THAT IT’S EVER GOING TO CHANGE? >> I THINK IT WILL CHANGE ONE DAY. IT CONTINUES TO BE A SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. IT DOES NOT HELP OUR OFFICERS OR THE COMMUNITY. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PAY RAISE. FOR YEARS, WE HAD NO HOOTING CLASSES OR — RECRUITING CLASSES OR PAY RAISES. YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE RECRUITING CLASSES FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE SAW PAY INCREASES FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS THE LAST TWO YEARS. THESE ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS FOR THE RANK AND FILE THAT LOCAL CONTROL WILL DO WILL ME GET IT. LET’S BE CREATIVE ON SOLVING CRIME. YOU CAN’T ANSWER 2022 CHALLENGES WITH A 1985 MENTALITY. I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING IS BEING CUTTING EDGE AND CREATIVE. IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT WITH THEIR STATE CONTROL SYSTEM, WE ARE NOT. WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT THE LATEST TOOLS TO ADDRESS A NUMBER OF THE WORLD’S CHALLENGES. THAT’S SOMETHING THAT OUR OFFICERS ARE SAYING WHAT CAN WE DO MORE OF? I’VE HAD OFFICERS SENDING ME MESSAGES. I GAVE MY CELL PHONE THE ENTIRE CITY WHICH WAS A BIT OF A MISTAKE TO ENJOY HEARING FROM PEOPLE. WITHOUT OFFICERS SAYING I’VE TRIED TO SAY THIS AND THAT GET IT UP THE CHANGE OF COMMAND — CHAIN OF COMMAND. THESE ARE THE SORTS OF THINGS THAT DON’T GET TO THE COMMISSIONERS. I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR KANSAS CITIANS WHO ALREADY CALL ME WHO SAY THIS CITY NEEDS TO BE SAFER, WHY ARE WE DIVORCING THE SOLUTIONS SO FAR FROM THE PUBLIC? I TRUST THE PUBLIC’S CHOICES AND WHO THEY ELECT IN THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR. I TRUST THERE’S MORE WHO HAVE NO APPOINTEES, THIS IS THE SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. >> DOES THE LEGISLATURE THAT HAPPEN? >> NO. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE COURTS. I THINK THEIR TRIALS SET OR NEXT SPRING. THEIR IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT THIS MEANS FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF WHAT KANSAS CITIANS NEED FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND IT WILL BE GOOD FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. IN EVERY CITY THAT IS WATCHING THIS OUTSIDE OF KANSAS CITY, THEY HAVE LOCAL CONTROL. A LOT OF THE CITIES BACK THERE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THAT IN KANSAS CITY. >> TALK ABOUT THE RANK-AND-FILE OFFICERS. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM RIGHT NOW? >> I DON’T THINK I HAVE EVER BUTTED HEADS WITH THE KCPD AND OUR RANK-AND-FILE OFFICERS. I’VE HAD DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND POLICE CHIEFS. MY FIRST THOUGHT IS RATHER THAN SPENDING MONEY ON CONSULTANTS, LAWYERS, OTHER EXPENSES, THE FIRST AND YOU SHOULD DO IS PAY FOR PEOPLE. YOU SHOULD TAKE CARE OF YOUR PEOPLE. IT IS MY VIEW THAT THE KANSAS CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE THE HIGHEST PAID IN THE ENTIRE REGION. THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN. I SAW SOMETHING THE OTHER DAY THAT SUGGEST THAT AT THE END OF THE LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A $13 MILLION SURPLUS. THE YEAR BEFORE, $10 MILLION SURPLUS. WHY IS IT THAT $23 MILLION NOT GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS LIKE HAZARD PAY, HIRING MORE OFFICERS, AND PAYING OUR OFFICERS MORE? THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE I HAVE HAD. OCCASIONALLY IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS TENSION BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT, CITY HALL AND OTHERS BUT I HAVE ALWAYS SHARED THAT I CARE ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES BEING TAKEN CARE OF AND PROTECTED. WHAT MOST MISSOURIANS WANT, WE WILL HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RAISING BUDGETS AS MANDATED BY THE STATE OF MISSOURI. WHAT MUST EXPECT IS IF YOU RAISE BUDGETS IT’S GOING TO HELP OUR OFFICERS. >> THE GOVERNOR CAME OUT AND SAID AFTER SIGNING THE MEASURE TO HAVE 25% AS STATUTORY NUMBER, BUT SECURITY IS NEEDED TO PUT MORE OFFICERS ON THE STREET. YOU ARE SAYING WERE ALREADY HAVING TROUBLE. >> YES WE ALREADY HAVE A BUDGET ALLOCATION THAT FUNDS THE KCPD. THAT LEGISLATION DOES NOTHING TO CHANGE PROTECTING OUR OFFICERS, HELPING US HIRE MORE. THE OTHER THING THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US IS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE SPENDING MONEY WELL. IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH MONEY, IT NEEDS TO BE MONEY GOING INTO PROTECT PEOPLE. IF YOU’RE SPENDING MONEY ON EQUIPMENT YOU DON’T NEED, CONSULTANTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE YOU DON’T NEED, THEN YOU AREN’T TAKING CARE OF THE OFFICERS AND WE WON’T GET THE RESULTS WE NEED. I MAKE THIS OTHER POINT, IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PROTECTING OUR OFFICERS, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THE STATE CAN DO RATHER THAN PICKING FIGHTS THAT WILL MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. REPEALING THE SECOND AMENDMENT PRESERVATION ACT IS VITAL. SO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CANNOT COLLABORATE TO THE EXTENT THAT IT NEEDS WITH THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES IN TRACKING DOWN GUN THAT MEANS THOSE PEOPLE ARE ON THE STREETS MORE OFTEN ARE A THREAT TO OUR OFFICERS AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. REPEALING THOSE LAWS, STANDING UP FOR MENTAL HEALTH, THOSE MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND THAT’S A LOT MORE THAN JUST SAYING THAT THE BLUE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ANYONE WHO HAS THREE WORK BUZZ PHRASE FOR HOW THE SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THEY ARE WASTING YOUR TIME. WHAT I’VE BEEN INTERESTED IN IS COMING UP WITH A WAY THAT WE ADDRESS ISSUES LONG-TERM TO MAKE KANSAS CIT

Conversations: Mayor Quinton Lucas on KCPD

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas talks KCPD

Updated: 11:30 AM CDT Aug 14, 2022