Skip to main content

August 20, 2019, Meeting

Publish Date 09/12/2019

MINUTES OF THE
BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS MEETING
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2019

A meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri was held on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust Street, Kansas City.

PRESENT:
Commissioner Nathan Garrett, President
Commissioner Leland M. Shurin, Vice-President
Commissioner Don Wagner, Treasurer
Commissioner Mark Tolbert, Member
Mayor Quinton Lucas, Member
Mr. David V. Kenner, Secretary/Attorney
Richard C. Smith, Chief of Police

This meeting was called to order at 9:34 a.m. by Commissioner Garrett. Detective Maggie McGuire led the Pledge of Allegiance. Chaplain Dennis Dewey provided the invocation.

  1. Awards and Commendations. The Meritorious Service Award was presented to Detective Alane Booth. Detective Booth has worked in the Department’s Homicide Unit for more than 13 years, and her commitment to service and justice is just as strong now as it was when she started.

Detective Booth is the longest consecutively serving member of the 1020 Homicide Squad. She is often sought out by her peers and supervisors for her wisdom in ongoing investigations. Detective Booth also fully embraces the opportunity to train the newly assigned detectives to the 1020 Squad.

         Detective Booth takes pride in her job, and provides the highest quality of service to the community she serves. She focuses on building relationships with many family members during her investigations, which only helps in the effectiveness of her investigation. The Department has received many citizen letters of appreciation on her behalf for her help and dedication to their loved one’s cases. Not only has she spent countless hours on cases, she also finds time to build relationships with Mothers in Charge and Healing Pathway.

         In addition, Detective Booth has been a member of the Metro Squad for many years, assisting local outside agencies with their investigations. Working homicide investigations in grueling work with long hours and little sleep, yet Detective Booth has worked productively and served compassionately since February 2006.

         The Meritorious Service Award was presented to Officer Michael Moats. In September 2017, Chief Smith directed the Professional Training Section to develop and implement a training program for lateral officers joining KCPD from other agencies. The goal was to bring any officer, regardless of prior academy training, to a level of being ready to enter field training with KCPD. Officer Moats was put in charge of quickly creating a curriculum and coordinating the class from orientation to graduation. The next month, the new class of 11 lateral transfers began the program. All 11 were successfully promoted to the rank of permanent police officer.

         Officer Moats also has long fought for KCPD to use Tactical Vehicle Intervention (TVI) – or the PIT Maneuver – to end police pursuits more quickly. He tried for years to convince command staff of its advantages. The maneuver involves a police vehicle pulling alongside a fleeing vehicle, gently tapping its rear side, causing the suspect vehicle to spin out. This gives pursuing police vehicles with the opportunity to pin it in. Chief Smith agreed with Officer Moats in the summer of 2018, and asked him to create an official training program for TVI.

         Officer Moats and a few colleagues attended a two-week advanced training course by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to become certified TVI instructors. Officer Moats also wrote the Department’s policy on TVI, and helped with the acquisition of TVI vehicles and equipment. All tactical officers are now trained in TVI, and have used it to quickly and safely end numerous pursuits before any members of the public could be harmed.

         Officer Moats completed both of these projects on top of his regular duties as a member of the Drivers’ Training Section.

         The Certificates of Commendation were presented to Officers Aaron Jones and Steven Weber. On February 23, 2019, Officers Jones and Weber were watching a local church parking lot while a funeral of a 15-year-old homicide victim, who was shot at a local school, was taking place. Investigators were made aware in the days leading up to the funeral through interviews and on social media that there was a potential for retaliation at the funeral. Officers Jones and Weber were sent to park close to the church where they were highly visible to discourage violence while family and friends attended the services.

         Three hours into surveillance, Officers Jones and Weber saw a gray Nissan drive by, actively shooting in the direction of the church, where hundreds of people had gathered and with officers in plain sight. As soon as the shots began, Officers Jones and Weber immediately started following in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was uncooperative, and a pursuit began.

         Officers Jones and Weber remained calm during the entire pursuit of the dangerous criminals. They communicated information to other officers on their whereabouts, and also ensured that other officers responded to the church to check on possible victims. The pursuit ended when the suspect’s car crashed at Blue Parkway and Cleveland. Three men jumped out of the wrecked car and started to run, but were quickly taken into police custody. Three guns, which were also linked to an armed robbery, were recovered at the scene.

         The Certificate of Commendation was presented to Officer Oliver Weeks. On the night of November 24, 2017, three different people were robbed in the West Plaza neighborhood within a few hours, and the description of the suspects and vehicles used in each robbery were all the same. Such robberies during the holiday season had become a problem in the Central Patrol Division, so the Division had instituted a robbery project to help combat and reduce them.

         Officer Weeks, and his partner Officer Hollie Brannen, were not assigned to the project that night and were thus only able to look out for the suspect vehicle between calls and not on a proactive basis. Officers Weeks and Brannen spotted the suspect vehicle – with its trunk lid strapped shut with bungee cords – at a gas station about two hours after the last robbery. They saw one man go in the store, while the other stayed inside the vehicle. The officers approached the vehicle and took both suspects into custody without any incident. When they did, they saw a loaded handgun on the car’s floorboards, and several stolen cell phones in the front seat. Further investigation linked the suspects to three more robberies from the previous week. After the arrest, the robbery pattern stopped. Both suspects were charged with multiple counts of robbery and armed criminal action.

         Officer Weeks was deployed with the United States military when Officer Brannen received her award in May of 2018. Officer Weeks has returned from his deployment, and Officer Brannen recently left for her deployment with the United States military.

The Board took a recess at 9:47 a.m. The meeting resumed at 9:56 a.m.

  1. Councilwoman Heather Hall. The Board welcomed Councilwoman Heather Hall to the meeting. Councilwoman Hall will be reporting monthly on behalf of the Finance, Governance & Public Safety Committee. She serves as Vice Chair of the Committee. Councilwoman Hall advised that last week the Council voted to approve the allocation of $390,000 to the Crimestoppers’ TIPS Hotline Reward program. This amount is in addition to the $110,000 that the program already received from the City. She also advised that the Council continues discussions regarding the future of the jail, and welcomes the Board and Department’s input. Chief Smith advised that he has selected Captain Scott Simons as the Department’s liaison for upcoming jail discussions with the Committee.
  2. FY 2018-19 Resident Satisfaction Survey Results. Kate Bender and Julie Steenson, from the Office of Performance Management, presented the 2018-19 Resident Satisfaction Survey results. Ms. Steenson explained that the survey gives an annual opportunity to measure outcomes of the City services, identify differences between demographic or user groups, and gauge citizen’s relative priorities for different services. Ms. Bender detailed the citizen feedback regarding police service throughout the City. She explained that police services ranked number two in importance on the residents’ priority scale, falling just behind the streets, sidewalks and infrastructure category.   According to the survey, 61 percent of members in the community were satisfied/very satisfied with police service in the City, 24 percent were neutral, and 15 percent were dissatisfied/very dissatisfied; 33 percent of residents are satisfied with the City’s overall efforts to prevent crime, 40 percent are satisfied with the visibility of police presence in neighborhoods, 46 percent are satisfied with the response times of police in emergency situations, 56 percent are satisfied with the effectiveness of local police protection, 46 percent are satisfied with the enforcement of local travel laws and 43 percent are satisfied with the parking enforcement services.  
  3. Chief of Police Richard C. Smith. Chief Smith shared a dash cam video of a police pursuit that occurred in the City. An officer attempted to conduct a traffic violation stop at Meyer Boulevard and Paseo at approximately 9:45 p.m. on August 8, 2019. The driver stopped briefly before taking off again. As the vehicle drove away, the occupants of the car fired numerous rounds at the officer from about 66th Street and Paseo to 65th Street and Woodland. Fortunately, the officer was not hurt. The officer continued to pursue the suspect vehicle and was eventually joined by other officers. The pursuit ended at Truman and Locust, where police deployed Tactical Vehicle Intervention (PIT Maneuver). Officers took three suspects into custody without incident, and located a rifle and handgun in the suspect vehicle. Chief Smith and the Board commended the officers involved in the pursuit for taking three dangerous suspects off of the City streets, without injury to the any of the suspects, officers or members of the public.

         Chief Smith advised that he met with various Hispanic community leaders in regard to the ICE arrest that took place in the City on July 22, 2019. Chief Smith explained that there was a lot of incorrect information in the media, and these educational meetings provided an opportunity to discuss the Department’s policies and procedures in regard to immigration arrests. Chief Smith reiterated that KCPD did not initiate this enforcement action, nor do they initiate any immigration enforcement. The Department’s role was to respond to a federal agency requesting the assistance of local law enforcement. KCPD did not initiate the stop in question, did not physically remove the individual from their car, nor did they take the party into KCPD custody.

 

  1. Public Comments. Mr. Howard Brummett expressed his concerns with the governance of the Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri.

         Members of the Step Up Campaign spoke about the need for a single setting location for combined resources and expertise of child protective services, law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates, forensic interviewers, mental health, and medical professionals, to assure a quality and competent investigation and intervention, leading to hope and healing to survivors and families of child abuse, sexual abuse and assault.

         Members of the Campaign (Liza Mizell from CPC, Tammy Dickinson, retired U.S. Attorney, and Julie Donelon from MOCSA) detailed potential benefits of the co-location facility, including reduction of violent crime in the area, increase in prosecution rates, faster charging decisions, increased clearance rates, and victim confidence. They explained that when victims trust law enforcement, prosecutors, protective services and medical professionals, they cooperate in investigations.

         In May 2017, KCPD signed an agreement between the Board, Child Protection Services (CPC) and the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) to commit to entering into a capital campaign with the goal to construct or renovate an existing facility to co-locate staffing at a multi-disciplinary center. The Center’s purpose, detailed in the agreement, was to facilitate a collaborative group of agencies/organizations to deliver coordinated, comprehensive services to victims of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault. In the agreement, the Department agreed to 1) provide space and technical specifications reasonably anticipated to be needed in order to meet the requirements for an execution of their duties, 2) make members reasonably available to provide public support concerning the project to the community, funders, and legislators, 3) Negotiate in good faith with CPC and MOCSA with the goal to reach agreement among the parties as to the participation by each party in the monthly Center costs, and 4) upon agreement of the parties as to each party’s responsibility for Center costs, which shall be separately documented in a definitive cost-sharing agreement by and between each of the parties, and the completion of the construction and readiness of the Center for occupancy and ADA compliance, move the Special Victims Unit to the Center. The KCPD’s participation in the cost-sharing agreement shall depend upon the availability of KCPD’s budgeted funding.

         The total cost of the project is $22 million, which includes the total cost of the building acquisition and renovations, including the cost to build out the KCPD space. This expense is being raised by CPC and MOCSA through the Capital Campaign. The cost to build out the KCPD space is $2.2 million, which includes 12,800 gross square feet of office space, two holding cells, interrogation rooms and a sally port. The annual lease cost for KCPD totals $187,000 (with no additional CAM charges), which covers the KCPD space and pro rata portion of shared space with a three percent escalation for inflation. CPD and MOCSA have asked the City Council that this be an add-on to the Department’s budget. The anticipated move-in date for the facility is summer 2021, and the costs will not incur until that time.

         Julie Donelon, President & CEO of MOCSA, explained that funding for furniture, fixtures and equipment for the Center still has not been identified. There are two grants that could be applied for that may cover the furniture, fixtures and equipment. She also believes that money can be fundraised for those costs. Ms. Donelon explained that the operating cost agreement, stating that the Department will be responsible for $187,000 annually, will be need to be signed by the end of September 2019 to close on the sale of the building. If the ordinance is not passed and the lease is not signed by deadline, the project will come to an end.

         Commissioner Garrett expressed appreciation for the effort put towards the co-location facility by the Step Up Campaign Committee. In response to questions from Mayor Lucas, Ms. Donelon advised that they must commit to a ten-year lease at the facility with the partnering agencies, plus two additional five-year terms. She also advised that H & R Block is the owner of the building; however, City Codes Enforcement members currently occupy the space with a 15-year lease that was signed in 2018. Discussions have occurred regarding termination of the lease with the City, and relocating the City employees to a City-owned building. The City currently pays $800,000 annually to occupy the space at the H & R Block-owned building. Commissioner Shurin explained that the Department does not have the funds to cover costs of the furniture, fixtures and equipment.

  1. Approval of minutes. A motion was made by Commissioner Shurin, with a second by Commissioner Tolbert, to approve the minutes of the open meeting on July 9, 2019. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
  2. Fraternal Order of Police. Sergeant Brad Lemon spoke about the National FOP Conference that took place last week in New Orleans, Louisiana. Pat Yoes was elected as President of the Organization; Joe Grimaldi was elected as Vice President. During the conference, Kansas City, Missouri was selected as the site to host the FOP’s National Leadership Conference in spring 2020. Sergeant Lemon recognized Sergeants Justin Pinkerton and Todd Templeton for their quick actions during a stabbing that occurred right outside of the Conference hotel last week in New Orleans. They were able to apprehend the suspect and render first aid to the victim until local emergency crews arrived.

         Sergeant Lemon spoke about the police pursuit video that was played during Chief Smith’s discussion earlier today. He emphasized the amount of time it took to get backup for the pursuing officer. He explained that for two shifts working and only being eight blocks away from Police Headquarters, it took entirely too long for other officers to assist. Sergeant Lemon urged the need for more officers on the street. Commissioner Shurin agreed with the need for more officers.

  1. Executive Services Bureau. Deputy Chief Mark Francisco presented the following items for Board approval:
    a.  Budget Transfers for Fiscal Year 2019-20. A memorandum dated August 1, 2019, was presented to recommend approval of budget transfers. This budget transfer will affect the General Fund, Police Grants Fund, Federal Seizure and Forfeiture Fund and the Grants Special Revenue Fund.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Tolbert, with a second by Commissioner Shurin, to approve the budget transfers as presented. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
        b.  Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019-20. A memorandum dated July 30, 2019, was presented to recommend acceptance of City Ordinance No. 190546 and appropriation of $6,609,005.00 from the City to acquire in-car video cameras.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Tolbert, with a second by Commissioner Wagner, to accept City Ordinance 190546 and appropriation of $6,609,005.00 from the City to acquire in-car video cameras. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
        c.  OCDETF Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019-20. A memorandum dated July 31, 2019, was presented to recommend a supplemental appropriation to the Police Grants Fund and Grants Special Revenue Fund. The Department expects to receive funding increases from the Organized Drug Crime Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) for six existing investigations as well as new investigations. The OCDETF investigations involve a close partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the investigations and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Wagner, with a second by Commissioner Shurin, to approve the supplemental appropriations to the Police Grants Fund and the Grants Special Revenue Fund due to increased funding from OCDETF. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
         d.  Adjustment to Special Revenue Accounts for Fiscal Year 2019-20. A memorandum dated July 31, 2019, was presented to recommend appropriations to the Emerging Threat Analysis Capability (ETAC) Fund for the purpose of purchasing three applications for the ETAC node. There are sufficient funds in the fund balance, but the appropriation needs to be increased as detailed in order to facilitate the purchases.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Tolbert, with a second by Commissioner Wagner, to approve the appropriations as detailed for the purchase of three ETAC nodes. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
         e.  CGIC Supplemental Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019-20. A memorandum dated July 31, 2019, was presented to approve the supplemental appropriations of the National Crime Gun Intelligence Center Initiative (CGIC) Grant funds. The grant approved at the Board meeting on November 14, 2017 included $1,000,000 to build collaborative partnerships, expedite analysis of gun evidence, and encourage timely investigation and prosecution of those committing gun crimes. This two-year grant has been extended an additional year, and is now set to expire on September 30, 2020. It was anticipated in the fall of 2018 as the FY 2019-20 budget was being put together that more grant funds would have been spent out in FY 2018-19, but were not due to partial funding being frozen by the grantor and not released until March 2019. The delay has made it necessary for the supplemental appropriation to be requested.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Wagner, with a second by Commissioner Shurin, to approve the supplemental appropriations to the CGIC funds as detailed. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
         f.  RFP 2019-02: In-Vehicle Mounted Digital Video Recorders and Software Management System. A memorandum dated July 22, 2019, was presented to recommend RFP 2019-02: In-Vehicle Mounted Digital Video Recorders and Software Management System be awarded to Turn-Key Mobile, Inc., for the In-vehicle Mounted Digital Video Recorder and Software Management System Project at a cost not to exceed $6,609,004.74.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Wagner, with a second by Commissioner Tolbert, to award RFP 2019-02 to Turn-Key Mobile, Inc., at a cost not to exceed $6,609,004.74. The vote was 5-0 in favor. 
         g.  Kansas City Emerging Threats Analysis Capability (KC-ETAC) Purchases.

A memorandum dated August 7, 2019, was presented to recommend purchase approval for the subscription services of COPLINK/Forensic Logic, Thompson Reuters CLEAR Proflex, and Lexis-Nexis Virtual Crime Center at a total expenditure of $535,526.52. The Board of Police Commissioners is the fiduciary for KC-ETAC.

A motion was made by Commissioner Shurin, with a second by Commissioner Wagner, to approve the purchase of subscription services of COPLINK/Forensic Logic, Thomson Reuters CLEAR Proflex, and Lexis-Nexis Virtual Crime Center at a total expenditure of $535,526.52. The vote was 5-0 in favor. 
         h.  RFP 2019-11: Overhaul of Turbine Engine for Helicopters. A memorandum dated July 17, 2019, was presented to recommend RFP 2019-11: Overhaul of Turbine Engine for Helicopters be awarded to Dallas Automotive for a helicopter engine at the cost of $126,780.89, with the final cost being determined after teardown.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Shurin, with a second by Commissioner Tolbert, to award RFP 2019-11: Overhaul of Turbine Engine for Helicopters to Dallas Automotive at a cost of $126,780.89, with the final cost being determined after teardown. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
         i.  FY2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods Sub-Award. A memorandum dated August 1, 2019, was presented to recommend acceptance of the FY2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods Sub-Award in the amount of $196,910.00, to employ a Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) analyst. The Sub-Award period is September 1, 2019 through September 30, 2021.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Tolbert, with a second by Commissioner Shurin, to accept the FY2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods Sub-Award in the amount of $196,910.00. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
         j.  2019 Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. A memorandum dated July 26, 2019, was presented to recommend acceptance of the 2019 Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) Award in the amount of $1,321,992.62. This award is 85 percent federally funded, with a 15 percent local match. Funding will be used for personnel, overtime, equipment, travel and training for the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Section.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Shurin, with a second by Commissioner Tolbert, to accept the 2019 MCSAP Award in the amount of $1,321,992.62. The vote was 5-0 in favor.
         k.  Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Award. A memorandum dated July 31, 2019, was presented to recommend acceptance of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Award in the amount of $254,204.00. The time period for the award is January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. The program provides students with knowledge, positive self-image and social skills as a tool to reject the use of illegal drugs and controlled substances.

         A motion was made by Commissioner Tolbert, with a second by Commissioner Wagner, to approve the DARE Award in the amount of $254,204.00. The vote was 5-0 in favor. Commissioner Tolbert requested the Department provide a report on the DARE Program at the meeting on September 10, 2019.

         Deputy Chief Francisco provided an update on the Communications Unit. He advised that the Communications Unit is currently staffed with 102 members, leaving only four vacant positions. A new class of call takers has begun training. The 911 hold time for the month of July 2019 was 23 seconds, compared to 23 seconds in July 2018.

  1. Professional Development and Research Bureau. Deputy Chief Robert Kuehl presented the Academy Class Summary for August 2019. He advised that a new Academy class will begin on October 14, 2019.

Deputy Chief Kuehl presented the following consent agenda items for approval:
a.  Project #843: Line of Duty Death Notification
b.  Project #874: Economic Crimes Offenses
c.  Project #953: Regular Days Off
d.  Project #1200: Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

A motion was made by Commissioner Shurin, with a second by Commissioner Tolbert, to approve the consent agenda items as presented. The vote was 5-0.

Commissioner Garrett requested that the Research and Development Division make slight adjustments to the consent agenda packets that are reviewed by the Board. The packets are currently very voluminous, containing a lot of information regarding the history of the policy at hand. Deputy Chief Kuehl advised that they will make adjustments to cut down on the information presented, and will only include information pertinent to the review.    

         Captain Marisa Barnes made a presentation on Camp Fury and Catching Fury. Camp Fury is an initiative program designed to attract females to first responder careers. Catching Fury is the same program, but targeted towards young females in 8th and 9th grade. These programs provide females an opportunity to learn self-defense, repelling, search and rescue, handcuffing and fire extinguishing through situational training. KCPD and KCFD are participating in this initiative. The next session of Catching Fury will begin on April 25, 2020; the next session of Camp Fury will begin on June 7-12, 2020. Captain Barnes advised that a First Responder Focused Girl Scout Troop was created at Central Middle School. The Group will meet twice a month.        

  1. Investigations Bureau. Deputy Chief Roger Lewis presented the Investigations Bureau report for July 2019. He advised that to-date in 2019, there have been 91 homicides, compared to 88 at this time last year. Deputy Chief Lewis also advised that there were no homicides in the City for eight days beginning on August 10, 2019; however, during that time period there were 16 shooting victims identified.

Deputy Chief Lewis spoke about Department clearance rates. Currently, 43 percent of 2019 homicides are cleared. There are 16 cases that have been submitted to the Prosecutor’s Office for review and consideration for filing of charges; 11 additional cases are considered “solved but not cleared” which means a suspect has been identified in a case, but there has not been enough evidence discovered yet to file charges. He advised that officer-involved shootings resulting in death, along with any self-defense resulting in death, are still counted in the City’s yearly homicide total. Two retired Department members continue to work on the Cold Case Squad, identifying and investigating any new leads that come available in these unsolved cases.  

There were 52 non-fatal shootings in July 2019, compared to 65 in June 2019 and 36 in July 2018. To-date in 2019, there have been 337 living shooting victims identified, compared to 285 at this time last year. There have been 38 living shooting victims identified so far in August 2019, compared to 39 at this time last year. Deputy Chief Lewis advised that homicides and officer-involved shootings are investigated by homicide squads, while bullet-to-skin, non-fatal shootings are investigated by assault squads. The Department has four homicide squads; each homicide squad contains one sergeant and six detectives. The Department has two assault squads; each assault squad contacts one sergeant and six detectives. In response to a question from Commissioner Tolbert, Deputy Chief Lewis advised that the percentage of accidental shootings is very low.

Deputy Chief Lewis advised that narcotic related arrests are down 16 percent, and narcotic purchases increased by 94 percent. Numbers for cocaine, heroin and prescription pills and opiates seized are down, while numbers for methamphetamine and marijuana seized are up. Within the Investigations Bureau, there were 43 firearms recovered in July 2019. There have been 1,383 firearms recovered Department-wide, year-to-date.

         There were 38 drive by shootings in July 2019, compared to 34 at this time last year. There have been 266 drive by shootings year-to-date. There were 96 victims identified in July 2019, 10 of which were injured. There have been 663 victims identified year-to-date, 75 of which were injured.

  1. Administration Bureau. Justin Harris with Thin Blue Line provided a demonstration on the Thin Blue Line mobile ticket writing solution. Members of the Traffic Unit, including Parking Control, are currently using the Thin Blue Line application to issue citations.

Deputy Chief Laningham presented the Regional Criminalistics Division monthly statistics for August 2019. Deputy Chief Laningham advised that total Lab backlog continues to decrease. She also advised that the Human Resources Division is reviewing applications and conducting background checks on nation-wide applicants for the anticipated Regional Crime Lab Director position. There are currently three qualified candidates in the background phase. Director Linda Netzel will retire later this year.

Deputy Chief Laningham presented the Human Resources Personnel Summary dated August 5, 2019. For this time period, Department strength is 1,315 sworn law enforcement and 570 career civilians. In August 2018, there were 1,276 sworn law enforcement personnel. Deputy Chief Laningham highlighted the increase in sworn personnel over the last year, but advised there are still currently 44 vacancies. There are 34 police officer candidates currently in the Academy, and a new class with begin in October with approximately 40 candidates.    

  1. Patrol Bureau. Deputy Chief Karl Oakman spoke about various community events that occurred over the last month in the Patrol Divisions. He presented the Monthly Offense Report for June 2019. He advised that while homicides and assault numbers continue to increase, all other crimes are trending down from 2018 and 2017. Response times across the City have also decreased from June 2019.

Deputy Chief Oakman presented the Traffic Summary for the month of July 2019. There have been 91,653 total citations issued to-date 2019, compared to 92,966 at this time last year. Deputy Chief Oakman advised that citations issued through The Thin Blue Line software are included in these statistics. The Department’s Parking Control Section issued 5,941 citations in July 2019. Interstate 435 at Holmes Road continues to be the City’s highest crash location. Total City-wide crashes to-date 2019 total 12,434 compared to 13,050 at this time last year. There have been 44 fatality motor vehicle accidents in to-date 2019, compared to 45 at this time last year; 73 percent of fatality crashes are males, and in 56 percent of the fatality crashes, there was no seatbelt used.  

  1. Office of General Counsel. General Counsel Jenny Atterbury spoke about the Department’s missing persons policy. She advised that there are eight detectives and one sergeant in the Missing Persons Section. The Section takes approximately 1,400 missing persons reports annually. Ms. Atterbury explained that the Section takes a report on all missing juveniles; however, a risk factor assessment is gone through before taking a report on a missing adult.

A report for a missing adult will be taken if the missing person is under the care of a medical doctor and/or requires immediate treatment or medication, if the missing person is under the care of a psychologist/psychiatrist for mental health issues, if the missing person has threatened suicide in the past or is at risk of harming themselves, if the missing person suffers from diminished mental capacity or medical conditions that if left untreated/unattended are potentially life threatening, if the missing person suffers from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, or if there is a strong indication of foul play being involved in the disappearance.

Ms. Atterbury explained that all adults have the right to privacy, and some wish not to be found. Detectives have to be sure to allow the person privacy if they are not in danger. Ms. Atterbury advised that the Department’s missing persons policy is in-line with State Statute.

  1. Commissioner Nathan Garrett. Commissioner Garrett welcomed Mayor Lucas to the Board.
  2. Mayor Quinton Lucas. Mayor Lucas stated that it is an honor to serve on the Board. He explained that a lot of violence has occurred throughout the City since he took office on August 1, 2019, and the Department has been working hard to solve crimes and make sure that the community is safe. He commended the Department and is proud to be associated with it.
  3. Commissioner Mark Tolbert. Commissioner Tolbert welcomed Mayor Lucas to the Board. He spoke about the issue of illegal dumping throughout the City. He believes illegal dumping and litter contributes to the attitude of those around. He would like to identify a way to reward tipsters that lead police to illegal dumpers, and he encourages future conversations on this important issue.

         Chief Smith explained that the Community Interaction Officers (CIOs) work with the City to identify illegal dumpers. Illegal dumpers are cited regularly in the City.

  1. Commissioner Leland Shurin. Commissioner Shurin welcomed Mayor Lucas to the Board. Commissioner Shurin presented a draft copy of the Private Officer Licensing Regulations. Commissioner Shurin explained that there are approximately 10,000 licensed private security guards in Kansas City, Missouri, and 2,000 of which are armed. Manager Tamy Gallagher advised that approximately 30,000 – 40,000 private security guards in the City are working without a security license. The Board agreed to defer the vote until the meeting on September 10, 2019, to allow Mayor Lucas an opportunity to review the regulations.
  2. Scheduled meetings.

         The Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri has scheduled the following meetings:

Regular Meetings:

September 10, 2019, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City

October 22, 2019, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City

November 19, 2019, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City

December 10, 2019, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City

         A motion was made by Commissioner Tolbert, with a second by Commissioner Wagner, and by vote indicated below, to adjourn its open meeting at 1:01 p.m. and reconvene in closed session as provided in the following resolution. Following a roll call, the vote was 5-0 in favor.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, notice of the board meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners was given on January 16, 2019, and
WHEREAS, said notice indicated that the Board of Police Commissioners might go into closed session during said meeting, and
WHEREAS, notice of the closed meeting follows the guidelines of Section 610.020 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Police Commissioners go into closed session during the meeting being held on Tuesday, August 20, 2019, at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust Street, Kansas City, for the purpose of discussing personnel matters, labor negotiations, and litigation matters.

The following Commissioners were present and voted to go into closed session as follows:        

         Commissioner Nathan Garrett                             -        Aye
         Commissioner Leland Shurin                               -        Aye
         Commissioner Don Wagner                                 -        Aye
         Commissioner Mark Tolbert                                 -        Aye
         Mayor Quinton Lucas                                          -        Aye

         There being a quorum present and the question of holding a closed session having received an affirmative public vote of at least three (3) members, a closed meeting was held as set forth above.

Below are the votes from the closed session of the Board of Police Commissioners meeting on August 20, 2019:

The Board went into closed session at 1:14 p.m.

1 The amount is redacted under § 610.021(1), R.S.Mo., because no final disposition of the matter has occurred.
 

1)      Following a motion by Commissioner Shurin and a second by Mayor Lucas, the Board voted to authorize certain settlement authority in the case of Prince v. Viesselman, in an amount not to exceed $___.1 The vote was 5-0 in favor. Following polling, Mayor Lucas voted Aye, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

2)      Following a motion by Commissioner Tolbert and a second by Mayor Lucas, the Board voted to authorize certain settlement authority in the case of Z.J. v. BOPC, in an amount not to exceed $___.2 The vote was 5-0 in favor. Following polling, Mayor Lucas voted Aye, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

Mayor Lucas left the meeting at 2:45 p.m.

3)      Following a motion by Commissioner Wagner and a second by Commissioner Tolbert, the Board voted to approve the applications for continued employment of Police Officer John Wilson, Civilian Patricia Doolin, and Reserve Sergeant Dwight Rhodes. The vote was 4-0 in favor. Following polling, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

4)      Following a motion by Commissioner Shurin and a second by Commissioner Wagner, the Board voted to approve the Duty Related Disability Retirement of xxxx3. The vote was 4-0 in favor. Following polling, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

5)      Following a motion by Commissioner Tolbert and a second by Commissioner Wagner, the Board voted to approve the Duty Related Disability Retirement of xxxx4. The vote was 4-0 in favor. Following polling, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

2 The amount is redacted under § 610.021(1), R.S.Mo., because no final disposition of the matter has occurred.

3 Name redacted for privacy and confidentiality reasons

4 Name redacted for privacy and confidentiality reasons
 

6)      Following a motion by Commissioner Tolbert and a second by Commissioner Shurin, the Board voted to approve the minutes of the closed session of the Board of Police Commissioners on July 9, 2019. The vote was 4-0 in favor. Following polling, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

7)      Following a motion by Commissioner Shurin and a second by Commissioner Wagner, the Board voted to go into special closed session to discuss personnel matters at 3:00 p.m. The vote was 4-0 in favor. Following polling, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

8)      Following a motion by Commissioner Shurin and a second by Commissioner Wagner, the Board voted to increase Chief Richard C. Smith’s salary to $189,000, effective August 1, 2019. The vote was 4-0 in favor. Following polling, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

9)      Following a motion by Commissioner Tolbert and a second by Commissioner Wagner, the Board voted to come out of special closed session and adjourn. The vote was 4-0 in favor. Following polling, Commissioner Garrett voted Aye, Commissioner Shurin voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, and Commissioner Wagner voted Aye.

The meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.            

 

____________________
Secretary/Attorney

____________________
President

 

Board of Police Commissioners Minutes