Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners (April 21, 2026)

By Connye Griffin, Kansas City Documenter

These notes were produced through Kansas City Documenters, which trains and pays community members to take fact-checked notes at public meetings, strengthening transparency and accountability in local government.

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

Summary

• Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson highlighted the deliberative process her office follows before filing homicide charges.
• The commission approved a budget for 2026-2027 as well as transfers within the general fund to close fiscal year 2025-2026 without deficits.
• The Investigations Bureau reported on the reduction in robberies now that the robbery unit is fully staffed.
• Other reports included information on the use of drones in responding to calls for service and an update on the nature, resolutions and trends of complaints filed with the Office of Community Complaints.

Meeting Attendance

• David Kenner, secretary and board attorney  
• Tom Whittaker, president 
• Madeline Romious, vice president
• Scott Boswell, treasurer

Meeting Start Time: 9:30 a.m.

Meeting End Time: 11:06 a.m.

Notes

Board Resolution 26-02: Heather S. Hall

The commission recognized former Commissioner Heather S. Hall for her service to the Kansas City Police Department and the city at large. In her remarks, she noted she was “blessed and honored to have been a small part” of KCPD.

Guest Presentations

1. Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Lace Cline reviewed the ordinance banning single-serve mini-liquor bottles in certain neighborhoods. Cline noted the ordinance will be in effect in mid-June. She also discussed the ban on sales of synthetic kratom and 7-OH and the process to sell those products legally, including a duty to report illegal sales.
2. Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson reviewed data for crimes filed in her office through April 17. She elaborated on the use of a homicide committee consisting of “seasoned prosecutors”:
   1. Every Friday, the committee considers any complicating factors, such as self-defense, and evidence before charging a homicide. Johnson reported Jackson County’s homicide clearance rate is above the national average.
   2. Johnson also highlighted the cooperative efforts of Jackson County prosecutors, KCPD and the FBI in apprehending suspect KaShawn Nicola Roper in High Springs, Florida, just one day after Roper appeared on the FBI Most Wanted list but more than five years after being identified as the suspect. 

General Discussion from Chief Stacey Graves 

Graves noted KCPD representation in meetings with Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe in Jefferson City about public safety measures during the World Cup. KCPD staged a collective readiness session on the World War I Museum grounds early on April 21.

Updates

Investigations Bureau

Deputy Chief Doug Niemeier said first-responder drones are fully operational and have proved useful in determining whether a car/officer should be sent. In the last 30 days, drones were first to the scene in 172 incidents and achieved a clearance rate of 15%. Whittaker asked if drone response time has been separated from car/officer responses, noting that drones should contribute to faster response times. Niemeier said his division is in the process of separating those two types of responses. He also provided data for: 

1. Homicides in March (7) and YTD (35), a decrease of 19% from the same period last year; 16 were cleared.
2. Nonfatal shootings in March (24), an increase of 14% over the 2025 number (21). The YTD numbers for nonfatal shootings (101) is up 25% over 2025’s number (81). 
3. The Robbery unit is fully staffed. Neimeier attributed a 36% decline in robberies to that fact.

Patrol Bureau

A member of Deputy Chief Joseph Mabin’s division reported on work within various divisions, squads and related organizations. Highlights included:

• The Police Athletic League is adding chess to its list of programs.
• The issuance of 69 citations in March for street racing and sideshows and the issuance of nearly 4,000 more citations than in the same time period last year.
• From March 24 through March 26, members of the Traffic Enforcement Unit assisted with regional escort training with outside agencies who will be helping during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
• Response times for priority categories 1 and 2 are faster than any period since 2023.

Administration Bureau

1. Deputy Chief Luis Ortiz reported that department staffing consists of 1,153 sworn officers and 556 professional staff (See “Department Strength: March 31, 2026,” p. 2 under Tab D).
2. To date, personnel have processed 91 crime scenes, conducted testing for 599 items and processed more than 5,000 items.
3. The current academy class is small with only 26 candidates. Ortiz said there seems to be a mistaken impression that the department has a hiring freeze.

Executive Services Bureau

The board unanimously approved the following items:

1. Supplemental appropriations of $2 million for fiscal year 2025-26 to meet overtime costs. 
2. Final budget transfers for fiscal year 2025-26.
3. A fiscal year 2026-27 budget of $385.1 million compared with $343.1 million for fiscal 2025-26. The FY27 budget includes pay increases for officers and professional staff. 
4. Budget transfers for fiscal year 2026-27 to cover adjustments in departments and to the liability self-retention fund for anticipated claims.
5. Blanket building and property insurance in the amount of $310,000. 
6. A roughly $1 million ammunition/munitions bid to renew services from Gulf States and Sunset Law Enforcement
7. Renewal of the annual subscription for TBL (Thin Blue Line) Systems Inc., a software system for citations.
8. Excess workers’ compensation coverage as required by the state of Missouri.
9. A contract for VMware, virtual environment for the department’s network servers.
10. An expenditure of $300,000 for overhaul of a helicopter engine, as per federal aviation requirements, to be completed by the World Cup. 
11. A bid for insurance broker services with Willis Towers Watson Midwest.
12. Increase of $50,000 in spending for the Midwest HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Task Force.
13. Acceptance of a donation from the Police Foundation using funds donated by Quik Trip in the amount of $610,000. The donation is for supplies and equipment needed for the upcoming World Cup. These include first-aid kits, fire extinguishers and Chevy Tahoes equipped with police packages. 

Office of General Counsel – Nathan Weinert 

It was reported that two applications for a private officer license were denied because the applicants had been dismissed from a law enforcement agency.

Office of Community Complaints Update

Two members from the office presented an update: 

1. The office received 83 complaints through March compared with 88 during the same time period last year. 
2. Many complaints are not about police conduct, and representatives refer those to other areas that can address their concerns.
3. In March, one-third of the complaints were resolved without investigation.
   1. Body cam footage is particularly helpful because it can show that the officer acted properly. 
   2. A presenter said officers should not fear body cams because they help more often than they harm.
   3. Most complaints are not referred to Internal Affairs and are resolved using alternate methods. 
4. A quarterly report showed an increase in first-quarter complaints from 2022 to the present, attributable to public attention to policy and procedure. In 2022, 61 complaints were lodged. The primary complaint category is “improper procedure.”
5. The 2025 annual report showed the office received 407 complaints, representing a 20.4% increase from the previous year. Of those, 136 (33%) were forwarded for investigation. The balance, 271 (67%), were handled by the office and closed. Complaint categories are bias-based policing, discourtesy, excessive use of force, harassment, improper conduct, improper procedure and non-KCPD.
6. Vice President Romious praised the office for building trust with officers and the community. She suggested that a quarterly report like the analytical one just presented would be useful. President Whittaker added that the office’s budget had been considered for cuts and asked if the office has enough resources. Director Merrell Bennekin said the office has adequate resources. 

Public Comments

• Antoinette Redmond spoke to the commissioners about Purple Alert, a set of protocols to support neurodivergent and other vulnerable children. She asked for their support and said she is excited to work with KCPD and KCFD.
• Commissioner and Treasurer Boswell told fellow commissioners and police personnel that while in conversations at the recent C3KC conference, attendees gave the department “high marks” for transparency.

 Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• Will the Office of Community Complaints continue to be funded?
• What are the state and city strategies for public safety during the World Cup?
• How effective will drones prove to be after they are fully operational for a longer period?

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