Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Chief Forté invites public to share concerns, ideas with police at forum Saturday

PRESS RELEASE:

Chief Darryl Forté invites the public to a forum Saturday to meet with various Kansas City Police Department elements and ask questions or voice their concerns.

The forum will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 31 at the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts, 4747 Flora Ave. The event will be structured so community members can speak one-on-one with commanders and officers as well as Chief Forté. Representatives of multiple KCPD units will be at tables to speak with the public. Some of those units include Homicide, Narcotics and Vice Division, Human Resources Recruiters, and each patrol division station. Residents are invited to ask questions and share their concerns about public safety and quality of life related issues.

Chief Forté also will ask community members who have specific public safety problems they’d like to see addressed to sign a “Community Contract” with the KCPD. This contract will outline the mutually agreed upon action steps to be taken by police and residents to address the issue.

“It says we have a shared responsibility and individual accountability – both police and community members – for resolving problems,” Chief Forté said.

This is the second of Chief Forté’s quarterly community forums since he became chief.

The forum will be in Paseo Academy’s cafeteria. The public should park on the Flora Avenue (west side) of the building and enter through the cafeteria entrance.