Corrupt Kansas City Star Still Desperate To 'Force' Police Chief Out

Here's an indisputable fact of life regard the current controversy . . . 

The critics of Kansas City Police Chief don't have the votes to force him out. 

If they had the votes. Do you think they'd wait until August to see him go?!?!

Everything else is just chatter. 

Sadly, the Star was burned by activists and now they're really desperate to push a narrative that doesn't make sense.

Even more pathetically . . .

The Kansas City Star believes that sketchy dox will solve their crisis of credibility.

Here's the crux of their argument . . .

"KCPD Chief Smith had never announced publicly that he had planned to retire next year. Four months ago, Smith told Barb Shelly in an interview for The Pitch that he had no plans to leave, period. “My philosophy is I want to work and spend time running this organization.” The KCPD has always responded to various retirement rumors by saying that they knew of no plan or timeline.

"Now, though, the time he’s been made to retire just happens to coincide with the time he was always going to retire. In a further coincidence, only in response to questions about the Tuesday meeting did the KCPD say that yes, he is leaving the job, as a matter of fact."

Actually, the KCPD Chief has been all over the place with his comments and we don't blame him for being cagey given so much hostile local reporting. 

A KCPD spokesperson noted when Smith was hired, he told the Board of Police Commissioners he would hold the position no more than five years.

The newspaper wants to paint criticism of their reporting as "apologists" for the Chief but this blog has been critical of the top cop over the issue of gun control, marijuana legalization AND the controversial skirmish line that his department set up during the George Floyd riots. 

Our TKC blog community is INDEPENDENT and quite a few of us question the Star's shoddy reporting and editorializing because it's not journalism, it's activism. 

However . . .

Rather than submitting to a he/said she said quagmire . . . We ask readers to use their common sense.

And, in turn, we offer this rhetorical question . . .

If Mayor Q had the votes to remove the KCPD Chief, do you think he'd allow him to pick the date of his retirement?!?!

And all of this overlooks the so-called swing vote Police Commissioner Dawn Cramer denying rumors the Star has published about vote. 

Her on the record quote . . . 

“Reports regarding an anonymous source indicating my vote to terminate the Chief are untrue,” Northland Police Board Dawn Cramer wrote. “He has announced his intentions to retire in 2022. I am very appreciative of his service to the city and he has earned it. I never stated my support to terminate his contract and he has my full support until he retires.”

And all of this might or might not be settled in an upcoming meeting in the aftermath of a palace coup that seems to be falling apart.

Developing . . .