Thirty-two KCPD employees continue to provide assistance to tornado-stricken Joplin. One of our Tactical Response Teams and a squad from the Traffice Enforcement Unit are taking turns providing round-the-clock security at the severely damaged St. John's hospital. Once a fence is erected around the site, these officers will be reassigned where they're needed.
Major Robin Houston and her trained canine worked with the Kansas City Fire Department until 3 a.m. last night doing search and rescue. They slept a few hours and then went back at it again this morning.
Other behind-the-scenes work at KCPD has been ongoing to provide financing and equipment to these officers and communications staff in Joplin.
We are scheduled to be in Joplin until at least Thursday. If it extends beyond that time, we'll relieve the officers there now and send new squads in. Those there now got called up at midnight Sunday night and had little time to prepare for the departure from their families. We appreciate their sacrifice.
We also stand ready to assist with security for President Barack Obama's planned visit to Joplin this Sunday, if our help is requested.
Our work in Joplin speaks to the importance of our local, regional and national partnerships. KCPD members are part of law enforcement organizations large and small, and those relationships have allowed us to assist those who need us as quickly as possible, and vice versa. Shortly after Sunday's devastating twister, KCPD's phones started ringing. We are honored to be assisting our southern neighbors through this heart-wrenching time.
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