KCPD's unique governance model serves Kansas City well

The people of Kansas City have a police department they should be very proud of, and many are. We’ve innovated in the areas of social workers and community outreach through additional Community Interaction Officers. We professionally handle dozens of large events every year, from the airshow to the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. We are the largest law enforcement agency in six states and are often looked to as leaders in the Midwest and nationally. This police department strives to make Kansas City a great place for everyone to live, work and play. A well-functioning police department doesn’t happen by accident. It’s because of a group of dedicated men and women who have served on the Kansas City Missouri Board of Police Commissioners through the years. They have invested the time and effort to make sure this city has a police department that is a national model.

Many residents may not even recognize this. What they will recognize is the work ethic, professionalism and dedication that the men and women of the KCPD give every day under the oversight of the Board of Police Commissioners.

As it does every few years, the question of “local control” of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department has resurfaced. The KCPD is governed by a Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the Governor of Missouri and confirmed by the State Senate. They all are residents of Kansas City, Mo. The elected mayor of Kansas City also has a seat on the Board. That’s why the issue at hand isn’t really “local control” but local political control. The Kansas City Council funds the Department, according to state statute. We have operated this way since 1939, when rampant corruption caused the state to take control of the department.

Many say that model is outdated. We believe, however, that it has served the people of Kansas City well for 80 years and will continue to do so. When I attend national conferences, I am pleased to hear about the reputation of the KCPD among other agencies. We are known nationwide as leaders in everything from data-led policing to de-escalation training to social services. We have not experienced the strained community relationships or large-scale scandals other major-city departments have. That’s not by accident. Maybe it’s because of the members of our community who sit on our oversight board.

Under our current governance model, we are agile and adaptable. We can focus resources where they are needed most without being slowed by politics or bureaucracy. We can quickly respond to the needs of neighborhoods and businesses because we aren’t beholden to any particular elected official.

That is not to say that we are not responsive to City Hall. We have a commander assigned full-time to work with city staff and council members. We work together closely to address crime issues in our city. A great example of this is the money the City allocated to boost the reward money for homicide tips leading to an arrest to $25,000 through the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline.

State statute mandates that the City allocate at least 20% of its general fund to the police department. For many years, the City has provided more than 20%, and for that, we and the residents of Kansas City should be grateful. We also have consolidated many functions with city staff, most recently information technology. Our great working relationship results in a prudent use of taxpayer dollars for public safety.

The most common argument I hear against our governance model is that we are the only one in the nation who has it. Being unique is not a negative thing. Perhaps we should be seen as the leader after which other agencies should model themselves. Look out a little farther, however, and you’ll see that we’re not that different. The majority of municipal Canadian police departments are overseen by civilian boards of police commissioners, just like KCPD’s. Police are governed this way in most major Canadian cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa.

I also hear that our unique system of governance must somehow be the source of the stubborn homicide rate in our city. The other nine cities on the list of the nation’s 10 Most Dangerous Cities have local political control, and that has done nothing to abate the violence in their communities. Many of those cities also have experienced unrest that we haven’t.

We have a Board of Police Commissioners who can focus entirely upon governing the police department. City Councilmembers have many other important functions to oversee, from the airport to street maintenance to sewers. We are fortunate to have an oversight board in which our department is their sole priority. They can review policies and procedures at length. They also are open to public input and have requested it on many occasions, like during the last selection process for Chief of Police. Every month, the Board meets to publicly go over the department’s finances, policies and other items, as well as take comments from the community. You would be hard-pressed to find another City department that gets this level of public scrutiny on a monthly basis.

The Kansas City Missouri Police Department’s form of governance is unique, but that should be seen as a strength, not a weakness. It has allowed our department to function professionally, transparently and respectably for 80 years and hopefully for many more to come. For these reasons and many more, the people of Kansas City should champion the department’s current governance model.

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Department's current form of governance is best

We already are under local control, we’re shielded from political corruption, we use taxpayer dollars in the most efficient way possible, and we are responsive to the community.

I have been Chief of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department since October 2011. I worked here for 26 years before that in a variety of positions and have lived in this city my whole life. Like anyone, I brought my experiences and opinions into each new assignment I’ve had on the police department. However, I always made it a point to keep my mind open in each position and learn as much as I could. I took that same attitude with me into the role of Chief. I have learned a great deal and appreciate all who have taught me.

  

I’ve tried to keep an open mind on one topic in particular: city control of the police department. On the surface, it sounds like a good idea. But the more I learn, the more I come to the realization that the current system of police department governance is the best one. The Mayor has established a commission whose stated mission is to determine what form of governance would be best for the police department. I have remained neutral about the topic as I gathered and analyzed facts, but given what I’ve learned and my extensive experience, I now think it’s time I voice my opinion. The best way to govern the department is our current system: a Board of Police Commissioners operating under state statute. This model best meets the needs of our community.

The KCPD is uniquely governed, and that is not a bad thing. Aside from a period of “home rule” from 1932 to 1939 (you can read more about city politics and the corruption of the police department during that time in this background paper from the Citizens Association of Kansas City), the Kansas City Police Department is controlled by a Board of Police Commissioners. The Missouri Governor appoints the members of this board, and those members are confirmed by the State Senate. Local representatives typically recommend members of the Board to the governor’s office. Board members must be residents of Kansas City, Mo. State statutes – written and voted on by elected representatives and senators – provide the rules the police department must follow. The Kansas City Mayor also has a seat on the Board.

Some people have said the KCPD needs to be under “local control.” If the aforementioned process isn’t local control, I don’t know what is. Local residents are recommended by local representatives elected by the people, chosen by an elected governor and confirmed by local state senators, also elected by Kansas City residents. The mayor – also elected by residents – is a commissioner, as well. Everyone who is in control of the police department lives in Kansas City, Mo.

The issue really in question is city control of the police department, not local control.

I urge you to consider the question, “How would not being governed by state statute improve police services?” According to the Citizens Association of Kansas City, which has hosted public forums on everything from city control of the police department to remodeling Kansas City International Airport, “The Board and Department have functioned as intended, scandal-free for 74 years. Governors of both parties have appointed recognized civic leaders. … The Department is highly regarded nationally, in large part because its board of governance is free from political pressures.”

Coming under city control always has brought with it the concerns of re-opening the door to political corruption within the police department. The current system shields our department from such corruption. Wouldn’t anyone want those charged with enforcing laws to be as free from political influence as possible? Police officers always should be free to do what is best for the safety of the city without fear of repercussion from elected officials. Police should be able to devote their resources to the areas of greatest need as determined by data and community input, not where an elected official requests officers to be for personal or political reasons.

My peers in charge of other major city police departments envy the way KCPD operates. Every election time, their organizations go into limbo. The whole direction of their department could change with the whims of new city council members or mayors, and the chiefs themselves could be ousted. We are fortunate in Kansas City to be able to build our policing strategy on data and best practices. We have the flexibility to meet the changing needs of the community, and I am able to freely express my opinion without fear of reprisal. I ask others to express their opinion on this important matter, as well.

Some have said it is unfair for the city to be required to fund the police department and not have a say in how the money is spent. All city departments, from Fire to Public Works, decide how to allocate their own budgets. The police are no exception. The Board of Police Commissioners annually submits a request for funds to the City Manager, and the manager and City Council ultimately hammer out how much money the Police Department receives. We are as responsible to tax-payers with our money as any other public entity. In fact, I challenge anyone to show a place where we are not responsible with our funds. Feel free to review our budget any time on our web site. We get criticized for taking up 46 percent of the city’s general fund budget. That is a significant amount, but consider that the general fund is only 31 percent of the city’s overall budget. And year after year, the Citizen Satisfaction Survey shows residents want public safety to be the city’s top funding priority.

Proponents of city control say it will save money through consolidation. This isn’t true. If the city currently has enough human resources or information technology staff to handle an additional 2,000 employees (the size of the police department), then they have too many people. The same number of total positions will be required to support the combined number of employees. The department also would lose $1 million annually from the State of Missouri’s Legal Defense Fund through city control. The city would have to take on that responsibility. It also would have to shoulder the cost of the services currently provided by the Missouri Attorney General’s office, which defends civil claims filed against the department and our members. It is difficult to place a dollar figure on these services, but the loss would cost the department and city a substantial sum in attorney’s fees and expenses.

We have a great working relationship with city officials and city departments. Our staff is constantly in communication with them, and we work together on a very regular basis.

Some people say city control would make police more accessible and responsive to residents. I would argue that police are more responsive and accessible to residents than any other segment of city government. Our staff has the most direct contact with citizens in the course of their duties. Officers attend innumerable community meetings, and we have seven officers whose specific assignment is to be a liaison between the community and the department. We have an Office of Community Complaints (also composed of Kansas City residents) that is charged with investigating misconduct of department members, as reported by the public. The OCC answers only to the Board of Police Commissioners, not to me or anyone else on the department. Residents also are welcome to make comments at Board meetings. We make our records as open and transparent as possible. We also are internationally recognized for our community engagement through social media.

Another argument for city control is that we are the only police department governed by a state-appointed board, and being the only one must be bad. Being unique isn’t a negative thing. The New York City Police Department was unique when it started CompStat 20 years ago. Now this data-based policing practice is used all over the nation. Perhaps our form of governance is a model other police departments should follow. Let’s not follow the so-called leader – let’s be the leader. It is good to be unique. My mother taught me from an early age that it’s OK to be different, and in this case, it’s more than OK.

Our form of governance has served the people of Kansas City well for generations. It shields their police from corruption, fosters accountability and provides the most professional service possible. Our department’s model of governance should be perpetuated for generations to come.

Our department's new mission statement

We recently updated our department’s mission statement, and I wanted to share it with you and explain the change. This is the new statement:

To protect and serve with professionalism, honor and integrity.

Simply put, the mission statement is why we exist. It is a summary of what our daily practices should reflect as well as serve as a reminder of why we have chosen a career in law enforcement. Clarity and brevity are crucial components of the mission statement. However, of most importance is adherence to what the statement says.

We must consistently exhibit a servant-based attitude – an eagerness to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Our department members also must continue to develop so we can contribute to reducing crime in Kansas City.

Our purpose must be clearly understood by all department members and communicated to other segments of the community, and I hope this new statement does that.

We are proud and honored to serve such an engaged community. Your continued support is needed and truly appreciated.

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Police and City consolidations and collaborations

With the new fiscal year upon us (it began May 1), it was good timing that Deputy Chief Nick Nichols and Assistant City Manager Rich Noll did a joint presentation Wednesday to the City Council’s Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee about all the ways KCPD has consolidated operations with the City to save money. Many people don’t realize how extensively we partner and how much money it saves. The initiatives listed below are just some of the latest things we’re doing. We haven’t estimated cost savings for all of them, but what we have estimated is well over $1 million.

• Joint contracts for wireless devices like cell phones
• Joint computer replacement program
• E-Ticketing/Municipal Court management system – An effort is underway for an e-ticketing system that would be used by police, traffic enforcement, animal control, property code enforcement and others. Errors inherent to hand-written citations will be reduced, and big cost savings and enhanced revenue collection could result.
• Common e-mail system – The City is moving forward with switching from their system to KCPD’s
• FuelMaster Fuel Management System – Manages fueling for all of the City’s and Police Departments’ vehicles. In addition to its analytical capabilities (predicting fuel usage and the like), the system makes fuel theft nearly impossible.
• Combined building and grounds maintenance at three police stations
• Combined beverage and snack vending agreement
• Police are now providing Municipal Court security
• Police dispatchers now dispatch for Animal Public Health and Safety and Tow Operations
• Shared video production facility
• Joint management of City and Department web sites
• Joint training opportunities at the Police Academy
• Joint IT security supervisor

These are the newest initiatives, but some of our collaborations have been ongoing for years. For instance, the Police Department has managed, installed, repaired and maintained the whole City’s radio system for 30 years. For several years now, the City’s Parking Control division has handled parking enforcement Downtown while KCPD Parking Control officers focus on neighborhoods throughout the city. And if it’s a good deal for our employees, we’re considering joining the City in their self insurance plan for health coverage.

We work with City staff every step of the way in planning and implementing our budget, and I look forward to seeing what new, money-saving collaborations will come in the future.

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Gaining insight from former mayors, police commissioners and chiefs

Today, a group of people who have been very important to the Kansas City Missouri Police Department came together to learn about the Department’s current initiatives and issues and give their input. This group included current and former members of the Board of Police Commissioners (including former mayors) and former Chiefs of Police. It was a treat to visit with everyone from the first female police commissioner – Faye Werner, who served from 1973 to 1976 – to former mayors Charles Wheeler and Richard Berkley.

Our command staff tries to have a luncheon like this at least once a year because these people still have a strong stake in Kansas City and its police department. They have their fingers on the pulse of the community and are a valuable source of input for us. Some of our topics of conversation included:

• The potential renewal of the quarter-cent Public Safety Sales Tax. Originally approved by voters in 2002, the tax is set to expire next year. We’re trying to get the renewal of the tax on the August 2010 ballot. By the time the current tax sunsets, it will have paid for three new patrol division stations (including the opening of the city’s sixth patrol division – Shoal Creek), the Kansas City Regional Police Academy, a Special Operations Division and debt service for a new radio system, among other things.

• The status of our recent and current capital projects, like the Academy and the new Metro Patrol Division (set to open around May of this year) and the new South Patrol/Special Operations Division complex (which is now in the design phase).

• The budget and how it has impacted our staffing levels and operations.

• Crime rates and trends throughout the city.

• Trends in professional law enforcement.

It was an informative time for everyone involved and a great opportunity to draw on the vast knowledge and experience these past and present civil servants have to offer. Below are the names of everyone who attended, who are pictured above:

Front row – left to right:
Current BOPC Secretary/Attorney Mischa Buford Epps (2009 to present)
First Lady Commissioner Faye Werner (1973-1976)
Former Commissioner Stacey Daniels-Young (1995-2002)
Former Commissioner Angela Wasson-Hunt (2003-2005)

Second row – left to right:
Former Mayor Richard Berkley (1979-1990)
Former Commissioner Terry Brady (2005-2009)
Current Board President Mark Thompson (2006-present)
Former Mayor Charles Wheeler (1973-1978)
Former Chief Floyd Bartch (1995-1999)

Third row – left to right:
Former Chief Richard Easley (1999-2004)
Former Secretary/Attorney Albert Riederer (1994-1996)
Former Commissioner Dennis Eckold (1998-2002)
Former Chief Larry Joiner (1984-1990)
Former Commissioner Bailus Tate (1987-1994)
Former Commissioner John Dillingham (1991-1994)
Current Board Vice-President Karl Zobrist (2000-present)
Former Commissioner’s Counsel W.H. Bates (1961-1965)
Current Commissioner Patrick McInerney (2009-present)
Former Commissioner Jeffrey Simon (1996-1999)
Current Chief James Corwin (2004-present)

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New bureau focuses on training and research

Until recently, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department was broken into four bureaus: Administration, Patrol, Investigations and Executive Services. (You can see our whole organizational structure on pages 8 and 9 of our 2008 Annual Report.) We've now added a fifth bureau: the Professional Development and Research Bureau. You can read all about it in this article from our September newsletter:

So important are training and being on the cutting edge of law enforcement trends that Chief James Corwin decided to create a new bureau devoted to them.

The new Professional Development and Research Bureau was established Aug. 23. It encompasses the Planning and Research Division, the Training Division and the remainder of the Blueprint for the Future project.

“Since I’ve been Chief, I’ve always talked about the importance of professional development and research,” Chief Corwin said. “It’s a natural fit with our training at the Academy. To really walk the talk, we raised it to the bureau level.”

Director Rick Brisbin, retired Chief of the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department and most recently executive officer of KCPD’s Administration Bureau, will lead the new bureau.

“This guy’s really talented,” Chief Corwin said of Director Brisbin. “He thinks totally outside of our box.”

Despite his new position, Director Brisbin will remain Director Brisbin. Chief Corwin said although it is unusual for someone without the rank of deputy chief to lead a bureau, “it doesn’t make any difference what we hang on our collars.” The department had no money for promotions this year other than sergeants, and they stuck to it with the creation of the new bureau.

For his part, Director Brisbin said he is splitting his days between his office in Headquarters and one at the Academy. The Academy no longer has a Major commanding it – Brisbin will be responsible for its full operation. He said he has several goals for it, including marketing its basic and advanced training capabilities to agencies across the region, and not just law enforcement. He thinks the private sector could benefit from KCPD-led courses, too. He also wants to build on the Leadership Academy.

“It’s our pearl, the next generation of training in the police business,” Brisbin said.

Chief Corwin said this eventually could include a partnership with a college or university.

As for the Planning and Research Division, Director Brisbin said the focus will shift more to research of emerging trends rather than periodic policy revisions. It will take on some of the characteristics of the Blueprint project, which involved a thorough audit of the department’s practices and task forces of hundreds who figured out how to make things better.

“Blueprint was really about research and critical introspection, and what cutting-edge police departments are doing,” Brisbin said. “So we thought, ‘How do we institutionalize that?’ It’s not research on a periodic or project basis. … We need to achieve a real balance between research and policies and procedures, which also are very important.”

Chief Corwin said he wants the creation of the bureau to send a message:

“We really mean that professional development and research are critical to this organization.”

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The question of local control

Since 1939, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department has been governed by a Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the governor. The system has worked well ever since, but occasionally the media and others cry out for the police department to be governed by the City, a move they erroneously call “local control.”

I say it’s erroneous because we already have local control. The Police Board is composed entirely of residents of Kansas City – four commissioners appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Missouri Senate – and the Mayor. Most of the commissioners are life-long residents of this city. So, the idea that there's "state" control of the KCPD is wrong. What we do not have is local control by elected politicians who are typically looking to be re-elected or run for higher office and are looking for sources to raise campaign funds.

Except for the Mayor, the four commissioners take an oath of office that removes them entirely from the political process, just like all KCPD employees, who also swear to be removed from politics. We have the best of all worlds – a highly trained police force in which our officers and civilians are barred from engaging in political activity and are governed by a Board that is similarly barred from engaging in political activity. As a result, decisions are made in the best interests of the Police Department and not as a result of political deals.

Similar to the U.S. Armed Forces, Kansas City's law enforcement body is a professional civil service type organization that is respected by all political elements because it is separated from those elements. As a result, both today and in the past, the Department and the Board are not involved in the various political disputes that always seem to involve the City Council, the Mayor and the City Manager. It also allows the Chief of Police to call attention to things that he thinks could be a misuse of police department funds, like when the city’s Capital Improvements Management Office quietly siphoned money from the Public Safety Sales Tax fund to settle a Public Works lawsuit.

I am responsible for the entire police operation, including HR functions, budget, purchasing, and the day-to-day issues of the department. If something is not working, the Chief of Police cannot blame another department head for not providing what he needs. This also makes the system more efficient because I have everything I need to get the job done. Also, few directors of other city departments spend six to eight hours a month in front of their bosses – the City Council. If they do, it’s usually about a specific ordinance that is being discussed. I spend six to eight hours monthly before the Board of Police Commissioners talking about the operational issues of the police department. The board members ask questions and require additional work about many of the issues brought before them.

A common argument against our governance system is that we are one of only two major city police departments in the country to operate this way (St. Louis is the other). Does that mean our system is somehow inadequate? Absolutely not. Our mothers would tell us, “If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” Just because everyone is governed in a different way does not make our model bad. Changing the method of governance is a difficult process. A politician who has control of the police is not likely to give up that control. Our corporate governance insulates the Department from much of the politics that plague and paralyze other police departments around the country. As a result, we have been a national model.

Another common argument is that the Board of Police Commissioners was put in place during a time of rampant corruption – the Tom Pendergast era – and that it is no longer necessary because no such corruption exists today. I beg to differ. Since 1990, five Kansas City Council members have been federally indicted while in office on charges such as taking bribes, violating campaign finance laws, and most recently, mortgage fraud. No Kansas City police commissioner ever has been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.

While we are not governed by the city, the city does provide the department with funding, and we work very closely with city staff and City Council members to do what is in the best interest of the community we jointly serve. The Mayor sits on the Board of Police Commissioners, and the chair of the City Council’s Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee has a spot on the agenda at every Board meeting. Police commanders and others regularly attend city meetings and work on joint projects. Some areas in which we have consolidated functions include radio maintenance, parking control, dispatching, and information technology. The city does control the police through the budget.

We are exceedingly transparent: all purchases are public record, and any expenditure $100,000 or higher must be approved by the Board of Police Commissioners in a public meeting. The Board also is the policy-making body. All of these policies are approved in an open meeting and occasionally have public input (such as our Taser, car chase, and medical care policies). No other city agency has such a system of allowing the public to comment and be part of the policy-making process. And unless it could impact an investigation, our crime records are open, too.

Our system has served Kansas City well for more than 70 years. It’s a system that provides the best of all worlds: local control by local residents, accountability to a local government and freedom from politics.

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