KANSAS CITY BIG BIZ DEMANDS POLICE REFORM!!!

Tonight we conclude with yet another local group telling police how to do their job.

The punchline here is that most of the leaders of The Chamber & the Civic Council don't even live inside KCMO.

Still, it would be foolish to deny the power and influence of these organizations. 

These two groups are part of a small contingent who basically control Kansas City politics. Their donations determine elections and their dictates set municipal policy. 

Real talk: These are the only people who the Mayor & Council have to answer to . . . Accordingly, here are their marching orders disguised as a compromise: 

The recommendations center around three points: How investigations into KCPD personnel are conducted; the ongoing legal battle between Kansas City, Missouri, and the Board of Police Commissioners; and working to add diverse voices to the BOPC upon a vacant seat.

One concern is that high-level employees in the department, including the chief of police, have access to complaints against department members early in the process.

As a result, according to the groups, "the police chief is given an opportunity to disagree with [Office of Community Complaints] investigative findings prior to presentation to the BOPC."

The group recommended restructuring the review process to "employ industry best-practices," emphasize transparency, be independent of KCPD and report directly to the BOPC.

Gwen Grant, president of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, said the recommendations are a step in the right direction. Her group has been calling for a complete overhaul of the OCC.

Read more . . .

KC Chamber calls for police reform as part of new recommendations

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Following months of research, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Council released three recommendations related to policing practices from the the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.

Business, civic leaders make 3 recommendations on Kansas City police issues

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Business and other civic leaders are weighing in on issues surrounding the Kansas City Police Department. The Kansas City Chamber and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City are making recommendations, but stopped short of calling for local control, rather than the state-run system KPCD currently uses.

You decide . . .