Kansas City: Board of Police Commissioners (Sept. 22, 2026)

By Shaunika Cotton, Kansas City Documenter

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

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.

Summary

• Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Lace Cline provided an update on the opening of the city’s temporary jail on Front Street.
• Commissioners heard encouraging news about prosecutions, crime prevalence and arson prevention.
• Updates also included information on an initiative to reduce crime downtown and a program with students at Guadalupe Centers High School.
• The Traffic Division has issued more tickets this year than during the same period in 2025.
• The board approved a three-year renewal of ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection technology.

Notes:

Recognition

• Deputy Chief Derek McCollum recognized police supervisor Anthony Rizzo for his exemplary work in the purchasing department and also for saving the life of a fan while he was off duty and attending a FIFA World Cup game in the summer. While at the match, McCollum said, Rizzo “observed a woman choking and unable to breathe” and “immediately took action and dislodged the object.” Rizzo led meeting attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guest presentations

• Cline said the department received a temporary certificate of occupancy for the administrative area of its new temporary jail in August and anticipated receiving a similar certificate for the other parts of the building in October.
  • Processing the release of jail inmates is one of the first operations to begin at the new facility, with the city’s Department of Community Safety taking that over from the Kansas City Police Department.
    • “Taking over release processing will eliminate the need to transfer individuals back to KCPD South Patrol solely for release,” she said, “and it will also help relieve some of the demand on KCPD holding facilities, which have limited capacity and are needed to house individuals on much more serious charges.”
  • Staffing remains an issue, and the city’s Human Resources Department is working on hiring and offering retention incentives as the city competes with five other correctional facilities in the metro area.
  • City Council has asked staff to meet a January deadline for housing inmates at the facility.
• Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson reported that her office this year has filed charges in about 70% of cases referred to it, with the bulk of the cases involving drugs and weapons offenses. The office has a conviction rate of 74% so far this year.
  • The office has not filed 51 cases because witnesses did not cooperate, compared with 65 during the same period the previous year.
    • Johnson said more community members are coming forward and that trauma-informed responses can improve victim cooperation.
    • She emphasized that reporting crime can help keep the community safe and that resources are available to protect witnesses.
    • The office believes the number of cases not filed because of witness noncooperation should be lower.
  • Johnson also provided breakdowns on case filing rates and conviction rates in weapons cases, assault, burglary and property damage.
  • On homicides, Johnson said the office had an 89% homicide conviction rate and that charges were not filed in 56% of the homicide cases.
    • Reasons listed for homicide charges not being filed included 18 cases classified as self-defense, 24 with insufficient evidence and 10 returned for additional information. Officials said the office was working to improve the homicide charge filing rate.
  • Johnson described an arson charge filed the day after a fire at vacant apartments near Ninth and Olive streets. The Arson Focused Deterrence Team was used, with the goal of holding accountable people responsible for repeated arson and coordinating with law enforcement to improve community safety.
    • Johnson said: “We know in Kansas City we figured out focused deterrence, and we know how to do it. We’ve done it with Save KC (for gun violence). We’re building it with domestic violence, and now with the arsons that we have seen in a couple of our hot spots, namely vacant buildings that put our first responders at risk, we have started a new initiative focusing on those hot spot areas and working collaboratively with the building owners and KCPD.”
  • The prosecutor’s office is acquiring Peregrine artificial intelligence data analysis software to help its tech systems communicate and make it easier to track the impact of Save KC.
  • In response to a question from commissioner Tom Whittaker about cases affected by witness issues, Johnson said these were mostly violent- and property-crime cases. She noted that community distrust and the belief that reporting property crime will not lead to action can discourage cooperation. 
• Andy Arnold of Arnold & Associates provided a legislative update from the Missouri General Assembly.
  • One change he mentioned was a clarification that agencies other than the Missouri State Highway Patrol can issue citations for violations of a law regarding hands-free use of cellphones. 
  • He described changes coming in the General Assembly through the upcoming election, including a new House speaker, 51 new representatives among 163 total, and 11 new senators among 34.
  • Most of the newcomers, he said, except perhaps one, are pro-law enforcement. 

General discussion from Chief Stacey Graves

• Graves said the department expected to present its budget for the upcoming fiscal year at the board’s next meeting.

Investigations bureau update

• Deputy Chief Doug Niemeier reported that:
  • The department has recorded 96 homicides this year to date, compared with 117 at the same point in 2025, an 18% decrease.
    • Forty-four homicides from 2026 and 26 from the previous year had been cleared, for a total of 70. The reported clearance rate was 77%.
  • Year-to-date, there have been 254 nonfatal shooting victims compared with 309 the previous year, an 18% decline.
  • Robberies were also down: 534 year-to-date compared with 718 the prior year.
  • Niemeier introduced a captain from the Assault Unit to provide information about that area of the department. As part of the report, the captain discussed the general squad of seven detectives and two sergeants who work overnight shifts from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. across three squads.
    • Their duties include responding to patrol calls, interviewing witnesses, executing search warrants, preserving crime scenes and summarizing work for the Violent Crimes Division at the end of each shift.
    • The captain said the squads rotate and cover the entire city.

Patrol bureau update

• Deputy Chief Joseph Mabin introduced Maj. William Hewitt to discuss the Downtown Crime Reduction & Visibility (DCRV) initiative.
  • The plan targets recurring concerns such as violent crime, disturbances, public nuisance activity, street racing and locations with high call volumes. Its approach combines focused enforcement with efforts to change conditions contributing to repeated incidents and build relationships with businesses and community stakeholders.
  • The presentation emphasized visibility, relationships and responsiveness, data-informed deployments, neighborhood meetings and community events. 
  • Since May, the DCRV team reported 97 documented deployments, more than 520 calls for service and 290 arrests, as well as firearm and narcotics recoveries.
  • The team’s stated goal was to change conditions through a coordinated response rather than relying only on enforcement.
  • Board President Madeline Romious asked how encampments of homeless people could be closed without simply displacing people. Officials described coordinating with the city to connect residents with services and secure housing before closing a camp. They said one camp in the Center Zone had been closed with assistance from Parks and Recreation and the Missouri Department of Transportation, and everyone living there had been housed.
  • Additional information provided in the report was:
    • Patrol and special operations updates included a first responder exploration kickoff at Center High School to introduce students to emergency medical services and law enforcement careers.
    • Targeted enforcement in five areas resulted in arrests involving narcotics and sex trafficking.
    • An East Patrol Division motorcycle stop led to the apprehension of a suspect with a handgun and drugs. The motorcycle was reported stolen.
    • The Police Athletic League provided 100 free haircuts and sports physicals, and a $5,000 award from the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation was reported to support youth sports opportunities.
    • Median response time was reported as 8 minutes, 51 seconds for priority calls and 11 minutes, 6 seconds for nonpriority calls.
    • Traffic officials reported 45 fatal crashes involving 47 victims from January through August. Speeding and failure to wear seat belts were identified as leading factors in fatal incidents.
    • The Traffic Enforcement Unit issued 44,830 tickets from January through August, an 8% increase from the same period last year. 
    • On Aug. 16, traffic officers, along with several specialized units and outside agencies, conducted a street racing and sideshow enforcement operation. They stopped 10 vehicles and issued nine citations for street racing and 12 for moving violations. They also made 12 arrests, towed eight vehicles and recovered eight firearms.
    • A community motorcycle safety course was held Aug. 30, with another scheduled for Sept. 27. 

Administration bureau update

• The update included a presentation on the 1524 Paseo Collaboration at Guadalupe Centers High School.
  • Part of the program is the Aztec B.A.G. Club, which emphasizes behavior, attendance and grades.
  • Since starting in 2022, the travel experience has introduced students to activities beyond Kansas City through university visits, nature and national park exploration, cultural engagement and meetings with local law enforcement. The 2027 trip is planned for Los Angeles. A student testimonial described how program mentors inspired an interest in becoming a police officer.
• Department recruitment figures listed 1,153 sworn police officers and 559 professional staff members.
  • Forty candidates were confirmed for an incoming KCPD recruit class, with one additional candidate joining from a previous class for a total of 41.
• In August, the crime lab processed 82 crime scenes and completed forensic testing in 540 cases. 

Executive services bureau update

• Commissioners approved:
  • A $37,355 transfer from within the police grants fund.
  • Renewal of the ShotSpotter service agreement for Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2029. The first-year annual cost was listed as $230,782, with a total contract value of $692,346.
  • Seven 2026–27 Traffic Services Grant contracts. Together, the contracts combine $719,119.97 in federal funding with a $97,882.50 local match for salaries, benefits, overtime and training during the Oct. 1, 2026–Sept. 30, 2027 award period.
  • Board Resolution 26-04, authorizing an agreement for Turn-Key Mobile Inc.’s mobile data computer replacement project. 

Public comments

• A community member raised concerns about a bar at 24th Street and Lister Avenue. He said the location created recurring enforcement and safety problems, that neighbors called 911 on weekends, and that a petition had been signed because noise was waking children.
• Another community member alleged that a Kansas City police officer participated in a sexual assault after she called for help while being sexually assaulted by two other men. The citizen criticized the response to her report and the support offered. [Editor’s note: Though the allegation was made in a public meeting, The Beacon is withholding the name of the commenter and the name of the alleged assaulters because the incident could not be independently verified.]

Observations & Follow-Up Questions 

• The meeting included reported decreases in several crime categories and continuing operational challenges involving staffing, witness cooperation, police response times and jail readiness.
• Several updates described public safety as requiring more than enforcement alone, including witness support, youth mentorship, community relationships and connecting people living in encampments with housing and services.
• What staffing benchmarks must be met before the modular jail can begin housing people charged with municipal offenses?
• How will the police department and prosecutor’s office measure whether witness support efforts improve cooperation and case outcomes?
• What longer-term results will be reported for the DCRV initiative, including outcomes for people connected to housing and services?

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