The earnings tax's impact at KCPD

Kansas City’s 1 percent earnings tax presently is up for debate in the Missouri Legislature and up for Kansas City voters to renew in April. The proceeds from this tax make up almost 40 percent of the City's general fund, which primarily supports public safety, including the police department budget. Without it, police would be forced to make significant cuts.

If the tax goes away, the City estimates that 810 sworn officer positions would need to be eliminated. That’s more than 80 percent of the officers we currently have on patrol. In total, we currently have about 1,350 sworn officers, which include investigative, training and specialty elements.

Because of this estimated reduction, police response to some incidents would be significantly reduced and possibly eliminated, such as non-injury car crashes, burglaries, fraud and forgery incidents. Response times would increase, and elements like those listed below that were instituted through the earnings tax could be cut. A Northland patrol division station also could be eliminated.

The elements listed below have done a tremendous amount of good in our city. They have changed the lives of young people, found and stopped people who committed violent crimes, served the growing northern part of our city, significantly reduced illegal narcotics and the violence that goes with them, protected children from harm and brought justice for victims and their loved ones. If the earnings tax was eliminated, however, KCPD would have to devote nearly all of its resources to responding to 911 calls for service. We could not afford to staff these and other specialized units.

Here are the services and elements KCPD has added using earnings tax funds in the last 40-plus years:

• D.A.R.E./G.R.E.A.T. Unit - The five officers in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education and Gang Resistance Education And Training unit reach approximately 3,000 Kansas City youth in 44 schools every year. Both programs are taught to children in grades 4 through 8, depending on the availability of the school’s classroom time. (One of the five officers is funded through the Jackson County COMBAT Tax.)

• Police Athletic League – Their mission is to offer youth the opportunity to interact with police officers in a positive setting while participating in cultural, mentoring and sports programs with the main emphasis being placed on academics. The PAL program serves as a constructive alternative to anti-social behavior and boredom during their development years into adulthood. I’ve discussed some of the amazing work PAL does on this blog, and it’s become a national model. PAL is supported by donations, but the officers are paid through earnings tax funds.

• Community Interaction Officers – These officers are the single point of contact for community members or groups to access a variety of not only police services, but community contacts and resources, as well. Each area of the city has an assigned representative (one at each of the six patrol divisions). These officers have contacts and relationships with community, cultural, church and professional organizations and strive to serve as a conduit to facilitate each working together for the benefit of the community they represent.

• School Resource Officers – Two officers each are assigned to three high schools in the Kansas City Missouri School District: Northeast, Central Academy of Excellence and Southwest. The SRO program places officers in schools in an effort to create and maintain a safe learning environment and also create a positive image through interaction with students, parents, staff and administrators. The officers take a proactive approach with the students to help identify youth at risk, try to intervene with appropriate action plans, build healthy and trusting relationships with the KCMO Police Department and encourage a forward-looking approach to deal with the pressures today's young people face.

• Community Action Network – Six of these officers are assigned at three centers: Westside, Blue Hills and 49/63. They are the definition of “community policing.” They monitor issues within their assigned neighborhoods and work with a wide variety of departmental and City groups to combat the issues. They also do covert operations to follow known criminals in the KC Metro area in an effort to catch them in the act of committing crimes. Our CAN officers have been featured in the New York Times and in national documentaries for their work.

• Shoal Creek Patrol Division – Serves a 75-square-mile area (for perspective, the whole city of St. Louis is 66 square miles) of northeast Kansas City that is home to about 90,000 residents. Officers respond to 911 calls, engage in proactive policing to prevent crime and work with community members and businesses. A dedicated Property Crimes Section investigates property crimes that take place in the division.

• Helicopter Unit – Officers in the unit fly approximately 1,700 hours per year. They assist in searches for missing and/or endangered adults and children, provide assistance to officers on the ground in locating individuals attempting to elude arrest, and provide information from overhead regarding police pursuits (traffic information to help officers safely pursue and apprehend individuals). They also gather information and intelligence to provide safety during large public gatherings like the World Series Victory Parade and rally, St. Patrick’s Day parade, large disturbances, etc. They provide coverage 15.5 hours each day, and are subject to call out. Kansas City Police also are the only law enforcement agency with a helicopter in the metro area, so KCPD Helicopter officers regularly assist other agencies on both sides of the state line. The helicopters were paid for through a combination of public safety sales tax and grant funds, but the salary of the officers who fly them comes from the Earnings Tax.

• Canine Unit – The Canine Unit does more than just apprehend suspects. They search for articles of contraband or evidence, locate lost individuals and bodies of the deceased, detect narcotics and search for any possible explosives at large-scale events. Ten officers, two sergeants and their 12 canine partners work 20 hours a day, and can be called out at any time.

• Drug Enforcement Unit – All elements in the unit work in conjunction with federal partners to investigate and prosecute violent offenders. The unit has received numerous accolades from the U.S. Department of Justice for their work. This unit is readily available for 24/7 surveillance when requested. DEU is part of the Narcotics and Vice Division and is composed of the following squads:

- Interdiction – Members stop and investigate large quantities of drugs coming in and out of the city on mass transit, through shipping companies and more. In 2015, Interdiction members seized $46.3 million worth of narcotics and more than $1 million in cash in connection with illicit drugs.

- Career Criminal – Members go after repeat violent criminals involved in crimes like murder, robbery, kidnapping, shootings, and drug and gun trafficking. In the last couple years, members of this squad worked on such high-profile cases as the quintuple homicides in the Woodbridge neighborhood, the highway shooter investigation and Craigslist and convenience store robbery rings.

- Metro Meth – Members respond to, investigate and prevent methamphetamine manufacturing and distribution operations. This squad is the only regional group certified to dismantle clandestine labs in the metropolitan area.

- Administrative – Members work on cases involving prescription drug fraud and abuse and prepare search and arrest warrants for other members of the unit. They also make public presentations to schools, community groups and health centers regarding illegal drug recognition and trends. The squad works in conjunction with the DEA for the nationwide Drug Take Back initiative to safely dispose of all expired and unwanted prescription drugs.

- Undercover – Members investigate mid- to high-level drug activity. The evidence they gather is used in investigations of larger-scale trafficking operations for federal and state prosecutions. Members of this squad investigate heroin overdose deaths for supplier prosecution.

• Crimes Against Children Section – These detectives investigated approximately 1,100 cases in 2015 in which an adult victimized a child age 16 or younger. The types of cases this section is responsible for bringing to prosecution include multiple types of child sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, endangerment, parental kidnappings and custody violations. Crimes Against Children also works with the Homicide Unit to co-investigate any incidents of a child dying as a result of abuse, neglect or endangerment.

• Cold Case Investigative Elements – Detectives have reviewed thousands of unsolved sexual assault and murder cases in the last decade and have gotten justice for hundreds of victims and their families. The oldest case they solved was a homicide from 1969. While they continue to work cold cases, many of these detectives also now search for missing persons – both adult and juvenile.


Some people might question the need for such specialized units, but we are the largest police department in the largest city in the state of Missouri. These specialized services are needed to address crime that most smaller cities wouldn’t encounter. And our work with youth is critical, too. Many of the youth we work with grow up impoverished, surrounded by drugs and violence. Without some kind of intervention, they can succumb to the negative influences they’re surrounded by and become another generation of people who commit crimes that harm others’ lives and property. I view the work of our Police Athletic League, DARE/GREAT Units and School Resource Officers as a vital crime prevention service.

The services listed above were created with and are supported by the funds generated by the earnings tax. They are not a luxury. They are necessary to effectively police a large and diverse area like our city. But if the tax is eliminated, most – if not all – of these units could be eliminated, too. Remaining staff members would largely be assigned to respond to 911 calls.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org. 

The status of 2015 homicides in Kansas City

Many media reports recently have given the impression that Kansas City’s homicide rate is much higher than normal. I’ve heard rumors that gangs or drugs are the cause. None of this is true. I’d like to clarify exactly what’s happening with murders in our city and shed some light on what we’re doing about them.

As of this writing, Kansas City, Missouri, has had 72 homicides in 2015. At this time last year, we had 57. Last year, we experienced the lowest number of homicides in 42 years. It is discouraging we have more so far this year, but it still remains below where we have been in almost any prior year in the last four decades. And with the exception of homicides and aggravated assaults (assaults with a weapon), every other category of crime defined by the FBI is down in Kansas City so far this year. As of August 1, total crimes were down by 5 percent.

Kansas City continues to avoid the deadly outbreaks of violence that have plagued other cities of our size. I posted about this earlier this summer. As of Sept. 22, for example, St. Louis has 148 homicides – more than twice those in Kansas City (and our population is greater by about 150,000).

The murders here aren’t the result of some gang or drug war. More often than not, they occur between people who get angry with each other and choose to settle their conflict with a firearm. (Sixty people have been murdered by firearms in Kansas City so far this year.) Of the 51 homicide cases so far in which detectives have determined a motive, 22 of them were the result of an argument. Domestic and family violence accounts for the second-highest number of homicides by motive, with 16. And it’s not just among intimate partners. We’ve had cases of an uncle killing his nephew, a step-son killing his step-father, and a woman’s boyfriend killing her toddler son while he babysat him. Cases like that are incredibly sad and incredibly difficult to prevent.

We’re taking many steps to reduce homicides. I outlined some of those in this post. Those efforts include everything from lethality assessments to prevent intimate partner violence by getting victims to safety, to the Kansas City No Violence Alliance, to the Police Athletic League.

But as I’ve said many times, police are only part of the solution. We can’t be at every family gathering at which an argument breaks out and someone pulls out a gun. We can and have identified who is most likely to commit acts of violence and then targeted them for either aggressive prosecution or social services through Kansas City NoVA. But we can’t be everywhere or know everything. We can’t prevent everyone who shouldn’t have a firearm from having one.

Fortunately, the community has been working alongside us like never before. We will continue to build and nurture relationships in hopes of establishing trust so members of our community feel encouraged to contact us before a crime occurs.

And after crimes occur, we’ve seen witnesses step up and give vital information to solve many of our most recent killings. Just this weekend, more than a dozen people came forward in a homicide that took place in a crowded area. In years past, witnesses in that situation tended to just scatter and never speak with police. Things are very different now, and I am very grateful for this increased cooperation. A community full of people who make it known that violence will not be tolerated – and that the irresponsible use of firearms will not be tolerated – is ultimately what will reduce the number of homicide victims in Kansas City. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department is ready and willing to assist in that endeavor.

KC 2014 homicides lowest since 1972

In 2014, Kansas City, Mo., experienced the lowest number of homicides it has since 1972. There have been 77 recorded homicides in 2014. Keep in mind, this number still could fluctuate. Investigators are waiting on a toxicology report for one person. If someone dies next year from an act of violence that took place this year, it will be added to 2014’s total. (This has happened before, up to 10 years later – someone is injured by a traumatic beating or shooting, and they must receive long-term care. They later pass away from injuries ultimately resulting from their assault.)

The chart below shows the verifiable UCR (Uniform Crime Report numbers submitted annually to the FBI) data we have on Kansas City homicides dating back to 1969. None of these numbers include officer-involved shootings. They are apples-to-apples comparisons. 

While we are pleased with the reductions in these numbers, we know there are still 77 families grieving. We will not give up working for justice for them. Nor will we rest in our efforts to prevent more violent crime from taking place. 

We have done many things to reduce violent crime, but many others have been part of making our city safer. Below are some of our initiatives: 

Our Victim Assistance Unit has gone a long way to ensure violent crime victims and their family members get the support they need and let the justice process take its course, reducing acts of retaliation. The detectives assigned to the unit have offered the victims crisis intervention, criminal justice information and referrals to community services for needs directly resulting from the crime such as shelter, food, clothing, grief and trauma counseling. By far, the most requested service from these victims has been trauma counseling. 

The Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA) deserves credit for reducing violent crime while beefing up community support for police. KC NoVA is a partnership begun in 2013 between our department, prosecutors, city government, social services and academia. This program has mapped out the relationships of everyone involved in a violent crime in our city over the last four years. It targets the most violent offenders – those at the epicenters of these criminal networks – for aggressive prosecution. For those less-violent offenders on the periphery of the mapped-out criminal networks, KC NoVA offers them a way out of a criminal lifestyle through support and social services. These offenders have been identified as being 100 times more likely to be a murder victim than the average Kansas City resident. KC NoVA’s Social Services component has assessed hundreds of clients. In partnership with numerous community resources, KC NoVA has provided them with substance abuse treatment, employment assistance, housing services, anger management courses and mental health treatment. Many clients cannot read or write and have received literacy and education assistance. 

The lack of literacy among those in criminal networks highlights the importance of early intervention, and it’s why I consider our Police Athletic League (PAL) an important crime-fighting tool. PAL offers youth the opportunity to interact with police officers in a positive setting while participating in cultural, mentoring and sports programs, with the main emphasis placed on academics. PAL is a non-profit organization staffed by Kansas City Police officers. The officers often get very involved in the lives of the children. They have done everything from driving them to a doctor’s appointment to helping their families get a new furnace when they could not afford one. The impact PAL has had on the lives of our urban-core children, many of whom live in poverty, cannot be overstated. Some of these children have gone on to college with academic and athletic scholarships, attaining careers they never would have thought possible. They also are a new generation of urban-core residents who trust police, and who have brought their family and friends to do so, as well. 

At the beginning of 2014, we also nearly doubled the amount of police personnel who work in hot spots, which are the small areas of the city where the most violent crime occurs. Every officer, detective and sergeant on this department not in an under-cover position now works six nights a year in a “hot spot.” Essentially, this means there is an extra squad of officers in East, Central and Metro Patrol divisions during their busiest nights every week. That’s more than 14,000 hours of additional police service for the residents of our city who are most affected by violent crime, and all of that came from existing resources. 

The fact remains that we cannot do what we do without the community. They are our eyes and ears. The more trust between police and residents, the safer our city is, period. We have amazing support from faith, business and neighborhood leaders. Our officers know that the vast majority of our residents are law-abiding folks who want the violence to stop as much as we do. We have forged some extremely beneficial partnerships with these residents, and they are making their communities safer.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org. 

Come see the Police Athletic League under the lights of Arrowhead Stadium

I’ve written about the amazing things our Police Athletic League does for urban-core youth on a number of occasions, and this Thursday, they’re giving some of them an amazing opportunity they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

The PAL Predators tackle football team will play at halftime of the Kansas City Chiefs pre-season game at Arrowhead Stadium this Thursday, Aug. 7. The team will be made up of 10- to 12-year old boys, most of whom are playing tackle football for the first time. The PAL team is part of KC United, a sports initiative involving young people from all over the metro area. The goal of KC United is for leaders and mentors throughout the city to use sports to reach young people, part of the same philosophy used at PAL.

The Chiefs’ halftime game was set up by KC United to provide a few of the boys in the program a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stand on the field at Arrowhead Stadium. Most of the players in the PAL football program have never been to Arrowhead, so actually playing on the field will be an experience they’ll always remember.

The PAL football program is in its third year of operation. Last year, more than 15 teams played at the PAL Center at 1801 White Ave., and the Center hosted many games. The championship games for four separate age divisions were played under the lights at the PAL field, which was a first for most of the young people in the program. The PAL eighth-grade team last year was undefeated, and the starting quarterback from last year's team is actually starting at quarterback for a local high school team this year as a freshman.

Through generous donations from local businesses and individuals, the PAL field is fully irrigated with a sprinkler system, has stadium lights and is professionally maintained by a local landscaping company. There is a new kitchen/concession area being built at the PAL Center, with most of the new equipment having been donated. The result is the kids are able to play at a very first-rate facility, and teams come in from all over the metro area to play on the PAL field.

Currently, the PAL football program has two tackle football teams, more than a dozen volunteer coaches and approximately 60 players involved. The program has doubled in size from last year, and the quality and caliber of the program is growing each year.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org. 

Police Athletic League is changing lives

I recently attended a Police Athletic League board meeting and was so impressed with what I saw and heard. In case you haven’t heard of it, KCPD’s Police Athletic League (PAL) aims to offer youth the opportunity to interact with police officers in a positive setting while participating in cultural, mentoring and sports programs with the main emphasis placed on academics. PAL is a non-profit organization staffed by Kansas City Police officers. A board of very generous folks from around the area governs the organization.

The impact PAL has had on the lives of urban-core children, many of whom live in poverty, cannot be overstated. Some of these children have gone on to college with academic and athletic scholarships, attaining careers they never would have thought possible at employers like Ford and Sprint. One graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and is a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy. Another is an NBA player. I have been so touched and impressed with the difference PAL is making that I've ordered all of our command staff to spend some time at PAL by the end of March to understand the impact it's having on our community.

Below are just a few of PAL’s recent success stories, as shared by Youth Services commander Captain James Thomas:

* One of our seventh/eighth-grade tackle football players passed out during practice. The young man, who is in pretty good shape, was really struggling. The coaches/officers offered first aid, and the young player fortunately suffered no permanent health issues. But in talking with the player, the officers discovered he had not eaten for a couple of days. The officers then met with the single mother and discovered there was little food in the household. Despite working two jobs, she had severe financial struggles, and the kids were often responsible for preparing their own meals while she was at work. The officers immediately developed a plan, reaching out to corporate PAL partners to create an emergency food drive, while contacting city services to link the family with financial assistance. The officers did this in a low-key manner so as not to embarrass the family. The young player had been ashamed of his background and refused to share his struggles with anyone else, even when it made him sick. But because of the relationship he had with the officers of the PAL Center, he finally opened up, and his whole family was able to receive much-needed assistance.

* A PAL officer met a 10-year-old boy at his school while recruiting for our flag football team. He was going down the wrong path, getting in trouble at school and getting bad grades. The boy agreed to play for the team, but his mother disapproved because she didn’t like police. The PAL officer explained the benefits of the PAL program and although skeptical, the mother agreed to let her son participate. In addition to football, he enrolled in the PAL Upper Room reading program. The Officer took on a father/parent figure role and mentored the child, as many of the officers do with all our kids. The young man became an A/B student and has formed a strong bond with the officer. Not only has the young man gained an adult mentor, his mother now has a positive attitude about the police.

 * A young girl came to PAL as a broken 9-year-old. We had no idea of her struggles, but through a relationship with an officer/coach, it was discovered she had low self-esteem and lacked confidence. She was very isolated and had been accosted by an adult family member. The officer asked if she would be interested in boxing. Although reluctant at first, she decided to give it a try. Today, she is a thriving young person full of confidence and a peer leader at PAL. She has found success in school and in the boxing ring. She is a permanent fixture at PAL and is a shadow of the person who first came to us. She mentors, referees games, and assists younger children with homework and reading.

* Two of our PAL kids were involved in a drive-by shooting at their house. The shooting arose out of a dispute over a girl, and a 2-year-old in the home was shot. The toddler was in the hospital for about a week. Although both parents worked, the family had limited income. PAL officers and Board members donated time and money for meals to ensure the family received essential needs. The 2-year-old returned home, and the family celebrated with a donated Thanksgiving Day feast. The officer who was working with the family made a home visit and found that the family did not have enough beds for all family members legs and lived out of a mini refrigerator. A collection was taken among officers and friends of officers to purchase the family two sets of bunk beds and a full-size refrigerator.

* Last month, officers learned a PAL youth was living in a household with no electricity or heat. The family was cooking dinner on a barbecue grill. Board members learned of the situation and procured a stove, water heater and worked with utility companies to get utilities restored to the house. This included a mini makeover of the house to improve insulation and rewiring the house to make it safe.

If you'd like for your child to be involved in the Police Athletic League, call Sergeant Brad Deichler at 816-413-3621.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org  

Cops and Kids Working Together

The Police Athletic League (PAL) is a non-profit organization, staffed by KCPD officers, that offers athletic and academic programs to about 700 urban-core children. The center experienced its most generous year of donations ever, allowing it to upgrade facilities and provide more programs for inner-city youth.

We recently celebrated our Grand Re-Opening of the PAL Center located at 1801 White Avenue on May 1. At the ceremony we were able to showcase the new NFL Chief’s football field with a ribbon cutting, presentation of awards to major donors and honoring the PAL board members. Among those recognized were Curry Real Estate Services, Messengers Lawn and Landscapes, Paul Davis Restoration, United Heating & Cooling, Mark One Electric, The American Fence Association Midwest Chapter and PAL Board Members Nancy Simons, Jim Carr, Larry Washington, Mike Carter, Cindy Mason and Web Bixby.

The donations resulted in a new air conditioner and duct work, partial new roof, landscaping, lighting for new athletic fields, storage sheds and more. More than 50 local businesses supported PAL in 2012 through $750,000 in donations, about a third of those were in-kind. Many came through Christine Lentz of Curry Property Management.

All of the donations have led to a better PAL Center, which is more than 50 years old, and programs that attract more youth. Those youth, in turn, focus their time and energy on something positive to develop critical life and leadership skills instead of becoming involved in criminal activity. The positive relationships they develop can be attributed to both the generous donors and the dedication of the officers involved.

PAL hosted the Upper Room Summer Academic Program for the second year, which helped 180 children come to read at grade level. The program also provides them food, something many don’t get as much of during the summer when schools and their lunch programs are out of session. PAL introduced sewing and gardening programs in 2012 to appeal to more youth, which have drawn great interest. A 7^th/8^th grade football team also took the field for the first time.

This year will be the first time the PAL Center will be a host site for Harvesters, the Community Food Network, which will serve approximately 300 people. I want to thank all those involved in making the PAL Center what it is today. We hope to continue to explore innovative and exciting avenues to keep Cops and Kids Working Together.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

A big thank you to the J.B. Reynolds Foundation

I want to say a big thank you to the J.B. Reynolds Foundation, which has an annual tradition of making the holidays merrier for the non-profits that support the KCPD. This year, Web Bixby of the J.B. Reynolds Foundation presented checks to the Police Athletic League, KCPD CARE Team and Friends of the Mounted Patrol totaling more than $22,500. That's $2,800 more than the Foundation donated last year. Here's a little more about the charities the money will support:

PAL
The mission of PAL is to offer youth the opportunity to interact with police officers in a positive setting while participating in cultural, mentoring and sports programs, with the main emphasis placed on academics. At the 1801 White PAL Center, inner-city children participate in everything from tutoring to basketball to boxing to computer classes, all for little to no cost. PAL is a nonprofit organization supervised by KCPD officers.

Captain James Thomas accepted the $10,000 check on behalf of PAL from Web Bixby.

CARE Team

The KCPD CARE Team is a non-profit organization that assists members of KCPD and their families in times of need. 

Supervisor and KCPD Victim Advocate accepted the $7,500 check on behalf of the CARE Team.

Friends of the Kansas City Missouri Mounted Patrol

This organization was formed with the purpose of supporting KCPD's Mounted Patrol Section by providing funds for additional training, equipment and veterinary care for the Section's horses.

Major Anthony Ell of the Patrol Bureau accepted the Mounted Patrol Check of $5,000.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org 

Police Athletic League and Upper Room make strides in reading program

I mentioned last week about our PAL-Upper Room graduation on Aug. 5. Our Informant newsletter delves more into just how successful the program was at improving the literacy skills of the children our Police Athletic League serves. And be sure to check out photos of the graduation on our Facebook page and the video below the story made by one of the PAL Board members documenting how the 8-week program went:

Nearly 100 children increased their reading levels this summer in a new partnership between the Police Athletic League and the Upper Room Program.

The average participant in the eight-week program at PAL gained four months of reading grade level.

“They did very well,” said Jerry McEvoy, executive director of Upper Room.

Upper Room started in 1999 in a church at 59th and Swope Parkway to provide out-of-school education to inner-city children from low-income families. The non-profit program spread across the city, mostly in churches. But McEvoy said they started looking at areas where churches didn’t have the classroom space to support the program.

The Police Athletic League (PAL) got involved after a PAL Board member’s own children attended one of Upper Room’s summer academic camps last year. She called the Upper Room and asked if they’d like to partner with PAL. The directors said they would consider it and made a site visit to the PAL Center at 1801 White Ave. in spring 2011. Officers at PAL were eager to bring Upper Room’s opportunities to the neighborhood children.

“We wanted them here for the kids in the PAL community,” said Sergeant Martin Cobbinah, a supervisor of KCPD PAL.

McEvoy said he was impressed with officers who worked at PAL and their desire to help the children they serve.

“That’s what convinced us (to partner with them),” McEvoy said. “They were very aggressive in wanting to give the kids more academic opportunities. They felt the kids could learn more.”

And they have. Simply through word-of-mouth marketing by PAL officers, more than 100 children going into first through eighth grades signed up for the rigorous program, taught by certified teachers with assistance from PAL officers and volunteer tutors. The Summer Academic Camp ran from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday. Students spent the first part of their days working with teachers and tutors on reading and some math, taking tests to determine their proficiency. After a provided lunch, children engaged in a variety of fun and cultural activities and were given time to read books.

Graduates who have missed fewer than two days of the program and averaged an 85 percent or higher score on their reading exams receive a monetary reward. The Upper Room funds the program.

The Upper Room and PAL will continue their partnership with an after-school program this fall and another round of academic summer camp next year. Anyone interested in being a volunteer tutor in these programs can call 913-339-8332. Training will be provided.

PAL & Upper Room Inc. celebrate partnership on Academic Summer Camp with graduation

PRESS RELEASE:

The Kansas City Police Athletic League will celebrate the academic success of more than 100 inner-city children through their new partnership with the Upper Room program at a graduation ceremony Friday.

The ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. August 5 at the Police Athletic League (PAL) Center at 1801 White. Students going into first through eighth grades will be honored for their intensive work to raise their reading levels over the summer.

This is the first year PAL has partnered with the Upper Room, whose eight-week Summer Academic Camp meets at 26 other locations throughout urban Kansas City.

“We wanted them here for the kids in the PAL community,” said Sergeant Martin Cobbinah, a supervisor of KCPD’s PAL program.

A PAL Board member suggested bringing the Upper Room to PAL, and the idea caught on quickly. They decided to originally cap registration at 100 children, but interest was so great that a total of 107 registered for the program.

The Summer Academic Camp runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each weekday. Students spend the first part of their days working with certified teachers and volunteer tutors on reading and some math. After a provided lunch, children engage in a variety of fun and cultural activities. Most children in the Upper Room Summer Academic Camp increase their reading skills by one to two grade levels, Sergeant Cobbinah said.

Graduates who have missed fewer than two days of the program and averaged an 85 percent or higher score on their reading exams receive a monetary reward.

The program is funded by the Upper Room, which is a non-profit organization providing high-quality out-of-school education programs to low-income families in the urban areas of Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan.

Police Athletic League to receive grant for NFL-sized football field

UPDATED WITH PHOTOS 3:50 P.M.

At this morning's announcement - more photos below.

PRESS RELEASE:

The Kansas City Police Athletic League will receive a $100,000 check at 10 a.m. tomorrow, June 17, to build a new NFL-sized football field for urban core youth.


The grant is from the Kansas City Chiefs, National Football League Youth Football Fund and Greater Kansas City Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). The check presentation will take place at the PAL Center at 1801 White. After the presentation, about 200 PAL children will participate in a football clinic at the Center put on by Kansas City Chiefs players. In attendance at the event will be Police Chief James Corwin, Mayor Mark Funkhouser, Kansas City Chiefs President Denny Thum, Chiefs players, Greater Kansas City LISC Executive Director Julie Porter and other PAL supporters.

The grant is being matched by other community partners, including the Sports Turf Managers Association, Honeywell and Acme Fence, to build a natural turf field next to the PAL Center. PAL has no football program at present but arranges for some children to play in outside flag football leagues. In addition to the nearly 600 children who are members of PAL, the field will be used by student athletes from the Imagine Renaissance Academy and other nearby schools.

“This field will be the centerpiece of neighborhood revitalization on the east side,” Chief Corwin said. “It will be a gathering place for children and all area residents to engage in all types of outdoor activities. The field will mean much more than football.”

The $100,000 check presentation from Chiefs President Denny Thum and LISC Executive Director Julie Porter to Chief Corwin, Captain Rex Tarwater, PAL Board President Kevin Dunn and Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

Captain Rex Tarwater, commander of KCPD's Youth Services Unit, explains where the field will go on the PAL site at 1801 White Ave.

Students from the Imagine Renaissance Academy practiced on the site of the new field after the check presentation in a clinic led by Kansas City Chiefs players. The Academy will use PAL's field as their home field.

Chiefs Tackle Colin Brown instructed PAL youth how to tackle.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Some fun fund-raisers for KCPD programs this weekend

Two non-profit groups that support KCPD and area youth are presenting some fun fund-raisers this weekend I wanted to let you know about.

Police Athletic League (PAL) Motorcycle Rally
Registration for the PAL Motorcycle Rally starts at 8 a.m. tomorrow, June 5, at the PAL Center, 1801 White Ave. Proceeds from this event will benefit the PAL Youth Boxing Program to send six boxers to the National PAL Boxing Tournament in October 2010. This is a great program for urban-core kids to put their energy and strength into something that helps them develop skill and discipline.

The first bikes will leave the PAL Center at about 9 a.m. Suggested donations are $30 for riders and $20 for passengers. The event will begin and end at the PAL Center after making three stops in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. If you have questions about the event, e-mail Officer Shawnie Nix at shawnie.nix@kcpd.org or Sergeant Martin Cobbinah at martin.cobbinah@kcpd.org.

Friends of the Kansas City Mounted Patrol Disc Golf Tournament
Also on Saturday morning will be the Second Annual Disc Golf Tourney sponsored by the Friends of the Kansas City Mounted Patrol, a nonprofit group that supports our Mounted Patrol Unit. Some of the things they've done in the past include buying riot gear for horses, paying for the officers to attend training from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, barn updates, unexpected medical care for the horses and other things the Department wouldn't otherwise be able to afford.

If you prefer Frisbee to motorcycles, this event is the place for you. The Disc Golf Tournament starts with registration at 8 a.m. at the Thornfield Disc Golf Course at 6701 W. 167th St. in Stilwell, Kan. A shotgun start will take place at 9 a.m. An entry fee of $200 for a 4-person team includes a disc golf pro and lunch. Individual golfers can enter for $50, which includes lunch. There will be awards for the 4-person ProAm Scramble 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams, as well as individual contests. Practice holes are available prior to the 9 a.m. shotgun start. Other activities will include kids’ games, disc golf demonstrations, a silent auction and an opportunity to meet the Mounted Patrol officers and horses. The event will feature a demonstration by the Mounted Patrol. Special presentations and awards will be hosted by Larry Moore of KMBC Channel 9.

Thanks for your support of the programs of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department!

Police Athletic League Center gets makeover from Honeywell volunteers Saturday

PRESS RELEASE:

The Kansas City Police Athletic League (PAL) Center will get a big makeover Saturday thanks to about 150 volunteers from Honeywell International.

Honeywell is partnering with the Christmas in October organization to make repairs to the PAL Center at 1801 White Ave. from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 24. They will repair restrooms, build a concession stand, landscape and improve drainage, make the steps more visible and add railings.

“These repairs are much-needed, and we really appreciate all the people from Honeywell who are coming out to make them,” said Capt. Rex Tarwater, commander of KCPD’s Youth Services Unit.

The PAL Center was constructed in 1960 for the St. Paul School of Theology. The School later sold it to the City, which used it as a community center. When police leased the building in the late 1990s, it was vacant and about to be demolished. PAL raised donations to repair the roof, gym floor and some other items, but a lot of work still remains.

The mission of PAL is to offer youth the opportunity to interact with police officers in a positive setting while participating in cultural, mentoring and sports programs, with the main emphasis placed on academics. At the 1801 White PAL Center, inner-city children participate in everything from tutoring to basketball to boxing to computer classes, all for little to no cost. PAL is a nonprofit organization supervised by KCPD officers.

Honeywell volunteers are part of the company’s community outreach initiative, Honeywell Hometown Solutions. Hometown Solutions focuses on four societal needs that align with Honeywell’s heritage: Family Safety and Security; Housing and Shelter; Science and Math Education, and Habitat and Conservation.

Police Athletic League hosts Punt, Pass and Kick contest tomorrow

PRESS RELEASE:

The Police Athletic League of Kansas City will host the NFL Pepsi Punt Pass and Kick Competition on Friday.

Young pro football fans will have the opportunity to exhibit their football skills when PAL hosts the competition at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 11, at 1801 White, Kansas City, Mo.

The competition is free and open to boys and girls ages 8-15. For competition information, call Sgt. Martin Cobbinah at 816-668-6591 or P.O. Daniel Watson at 816-719-8450. Entry forms also are available from the PAL Center at 1801 White.

The NFL Pepsi Punt, Pass, and Kick football competition allows youngsters to showcase their talent in punting, passing, and kicking with scores based on distance and accuracy. Age classifications are as of December 31 of the current year.

The top finishers from each of eight age groups at the local competition will advance to a Sectional Competition. The winners at Sectional Competition will have their scores compared with other Sectional champions; the top five scores from the pool of Sectional champions advance to the Team Championships.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Only a few more days to vote for Kansas City and help PAL

You only have a few more days to vote for Kansas City to help the Police Athletic League earn $15,000. Click here to vote for KC.

PAL could get the money if Kansas City gets the most votes in a mayoral fantasy football league by Friday, Sept. 11. Mayor Mark Funkhouser is competing with ten other mayors in a Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football League this fall.

The Mayoral Face-Off includes mayors from Buffalo, Green Bay, Oakland, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Francisco and Tampa Bay. The prize for the winning Mayor is $15,000, to be designated to a non-profit sports program. Mayor Funkhouser is designating his winnings to go to the Police Athletic League. Another $15,000 will go to the city with the most votes at the Mayoral Face-Off home page. Kansas City-area football fans can support the Police Athletic League by going to the Yahoo Mayoral Fantasy Football page and voting for Kansas City. The city with the most votes on the Mayoral Face-Off home page by Sept. 11 will win $15,000 for their sports program.

If you've already voted once, you can vote again. So please go vote for Kansas City!

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Vote for KC in mayoral face-off and benefit PAL

The Police Athletic League could get $15,000 if Kansas City gets the most votes in a mayoral fantasy football league by Sept. 11.

Mayor Mark Funkhouser will compete with ten other mayors in a Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football League this fall. The Mayoral Face-Off includes mayors from Buffalo, Green Bay, Oakland, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Francisco and Tampa Bay. The prize for the winning Mayor is $15,000, to be designated to a non-profit sports program. Mayor Funkhouser is designating his winnings to go to the Police Athletic League.

Another $15,000 will go to the city with the most votes at the Mayoral Face-Off home page. Kansas City-area football fans can support the Police Athletic League by going to this link and voting for Kansas City. The city with the most votes on the Mayoral Face-Off home page by Sept. 11 will win $15,000 for their sports program.

Want to know more about what PAL does? Check out this recent Pay It Forward segment from Fox 4 and click on "East Side Role Models".

And please go vote for Kansas City!

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Police Athletic League and Concentra partner to offer free physicals to kids

PRESS RELEASE:

The Police Athletic League (PAL) and Concentra Medical Centers will team up Saturday to offer free physical examinations for inner-city children.

About 80 PAL members ages 8 to 18 are expected to be seen by two doctors and about eight other Concentra staff members from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at the medical center at 200 Southwest Boulevard. Children will be transported from the PAL Center at 1801 White to Concentra. All current PAL members and any children who want to join PAL are welcome. Those interested in joining can call 816-482-8792 to sign up.

Concentra is donating its services. The physicals they will receive typically cost about $25 each. The physicals will conform to the standards of the Missouri State High School Activities Association and can be used for participation in those activities. Each child will be seen by a physician and have a medical history and vital signs taken. The PAL children also will have their height and weight measured, receive vision tests and other medical examinations.

Concentra is the Kansas City Police Department’s occupational healthcare provider. Steven Thompson, Concentra’s Downtown Center Operations Director, said he thought donating physicals to the children served through the Police Athletic League would be a great opportunity to serve the community.

“I’ve been familiar with PAL for a long time, and it’s a great program,” Thompson said.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org