I'd like to discuss the conclusion of our internal
investigation into the Crimes Against Children Unit. I think it’s very
important to share what we’ve done to correct problems, protect our city’s most
vulnerable victims and restore trust in the Kansas City Missouri Police
Department.
Sincerely, I am disappointed. This investigation revealed
issues with the organization as well as individual commanders, supervisors and detectives.
I am disappointed because I know we are better than this. On behalf of the
Kansas City Missouri Police Department, I want to apologize to the children and
families who did not receive the service they should expect from us. I also
want to apologize to the people of Kansas City, who rightfully expect their
police department to provide excellent service to vulnerable victims. You will
see our improvement in the steps we’ve taken to correct these problems and
provide exemplary service and justice.
Investigation Findings
I’ll share the findings of the internal investigation, the cases
of which generally transpired from 2011 to 2016. It identified two areas where
failure occurred: at the organizational level, and at the individual level.
Organizationally, failure reached to the highest levels of
this Department. There were no processes in place within this organization to
address the issues of detectives’ caseloads growing too large. For example, one
detective was trying to investigate 80 cases a month. Another detective said he
inherited 72 cases the day he started in the unit. Their pleas for more people
and more resources went unheard by command staff. The Department also failed to ensure
commanders, supervisors and detectives took adequate quality and control
measures in case management, meaning how to best balance caseloads and allocate
time.
The investigation also identified personal failures among commanders,
supervisors and detectives. Among these were failure to address caseload
issues, failure to follow up on some cases in a timely manner and ultimately
failure to submit cases prepared most effectively for prosecution.
Investigative Process
This investigation took considerable time. We did not want
to sacrifice a thorough review for expediency. Our Internal Affairs Unit generated 28 binders of investigative documents in
this case. Working with other department members, Internal Affairs ultimately
identified 149 cases from the Crimes Against Children Section that did not
receive the attention they needed. On each of those cases, our internal investigators
had to determine who did what, when they did it, and what was not done. The members of the Crimes Against Children
Section were given opportunity to tell their sides of the story, as well.
Those 28 binders of investigative documents were turned over
to a specially selected internal work-group composed of members with various
ranks and experience to review and inspect the Internal Affairs case files. The
work-group members were pulled off of their regular duties and assigned to devote
100 percent of their time to review the investigation and make both procedural
and disciplinary recommendations directly to me. I have reviewed the
recommendations of the work group and all the case files. We have now come to a
conclusion, which is why we are here today.
Investigation Results
This investigation resulted in internal disciplinary
measures being recommended against 17 members who were assigned to the Crimes
Against Children Section or its chain of command. These recommendations ranged from disciplinary
counseling to termination. Of the 17
members recommended for discipline, seven are no longer employed by the
Department. According to state statute, I cannot
share which members received discipline, and these internal investigative files
are not public record.
What We’ve Changed
When the extent of case management issues within the Crimes
Against Children Section came to light, the department took the unprecedented
step of removing seven detectives and two sergeants from their investigative
duties. Other veteran detectives were brought in on special assignment at the
beginning of 2016 to take over the cases and prepare them for prosecution. A
selection process took place to identify new detectives to be permanently
assigned to the Crimes Against Children Section.
Most – if not all – of the families in the 149 cases we
identified that had to be re-worked have been notified of the status of their
cases. If you are one of these families and still have questions, please call
the KCPD Juvenile Section at 816-234-5150.
The Crimes Against Children Section’s name has changed back
to what it was previously called, the Juvenile Section. It is now fully staffed,
with the addition of two additional detectives, for a total of 10 detectives
and 2 sergeants. This creates an entirely new staff and chain of command for
the Juvenile Section. Staffing for this section
will remain a top priority.
In April 2016, our department implemented quality control
measures. We have reviewed thousands of cases to ensure both patrol officers
and investigators have followed up thoroughly and in a timely fashion on their
assigned cases. We also are working with department members to improve case
file submissions so they have the greatest possible opportunity for successful
prosecution. This has improved our processes and quality across all
investigative units, not just the Juvenile Section.
Since I became Chief, all Department commanders now have
undergone additional leadership and ethics training to enhance accountability
and prevent complacency at every level of the organization. This is beyond our
normal training program.
We took the lessons learned from what happened in Crimes
Against Children and applied them across all investigative units on the
Department. Both a sergeant and
captain must review caseloads every month with their detectives.
Whenever a detective marks a case as inactive, a supervisor must review it to
determine whether that inactivation was appropriate, and a commander must
review the supervisor’s recommendations.
We have enhanced our relationship with child advocacy groups
and have asked them to hold us accountable. Feel free to ask them how we’re
doing. We have Memoranda of Understanding with the Child Protection Center in
Jackson County, the Children’s Advocacy Center serving Clay and Platte counties
and the Jackson County Children’s Division. In addition to those, Juvenile
Section members meet regularly with Children’s Mercy Hospital case workers.
What’s Ahead
The KCPD is working right now to co-locate our Special
Victims Unit with the Child Protection Center and the Metropolitan Organization
to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) in one facility. The proposal includes
on-site representatives from the Missouri Department of Family Services, Children’s
Mercy Hospital, Rose Brooks and other social service organizations. The
idea for the co-location is to have a “one-stop shop” where victims of child
physical and sexual abuse, along with victims of domestic violence and adult
sexual abuse, can receive all their services in one place. We believe
victims will receive more comprehensive and convenient services by only having
to go to one location. This co-location model is currently being used in
Dallas, Omaha and San Diego with great success.
We are working with our partners to identify a location and
funding for this facility. This should materialize in the near future. This
partnership will enhance our ability to serve the most vulnerable victims.
Conclusion
The conclusion of our internal investigation into the Crimes
Against Children Section marks the end of a regrettable time period in which
the Kansas City Missouri Police Department failed to serve child victims in the
way they needed and deserved. It is my job and the job of everyone in this organization
to ensure it never happens again anywhere in this Police Department.
We have worked diligently to recover from this setback and
get justice for every child in Kansas City who has experienced abuse or
neglect, especially those in the 149 cases we identified. We have implemented
training and numerous layers of accountability to ensure all victims get the
most professional and effective investigations we can provide. Our partnerships
with child advocacy organizations have never been stronger, and we are eagerly
anticipating the chance to truly work with them altogether in one building. We
look forward to showing you with our actions that the people of the Kansas City
Missouri Police Department are now, more than ever, dedicated to serve and
protect the people of our city with professionalism, honor and integrity.
Thank you,
Chief Richard Smith
