The 26 men and women of Entrant Officer Class 146 will graduate from the Police Academy tonight. They will hit the streets with their field training officers on Sunday. I administered the oath of office to them yesterday, on 12/12/12. In fact, I ended the oath by declaring them commissioned officers at exactly 12:12:12 (that was a stroke of luck).
Dozens of officers have retired this year, so this class is much needed. Our Academy does an excellent job preparing them for what they will face on the streets of Kansas City. You can see the sample curriculum. They receive extensive training in the law, patrol tactics, criminal investigation, firearms, defensive tactics, driving and more. These 26 men and women have proven themselves by successfully completing all the required training, and I look forward to having them represent KCPD.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.
Hello, everyone. I’m Darryl Forté, and I was sworn in as the chief of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department on Oct. 13. I am very honored the Board of Police Commissioners selected me to lead the department, especially as the first African-American Chief. But I’m going to try to take my mother’s advice to “stay humble.” I think this blog has been a great way to interact with and inform the community, and I intend to continue it. So watch it regularly. In the coming weeks and months, I’ll let you know about the plans I have to fight crime and work with the community.
I wanted to start by telling you a little about me. I was born and raised in Kansas City. I have four siblings, and we were raised by a hard-working single mother. I graduated from Ruskin High School in 1980 and earned an associate’s degree from Penn Valley Community College in 1985. That same year, I joined the police department. I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Park University in 1990 and my master’s degree in management from Baker University in 1997. I’m also a graduate of the 197th session of the FBI National Academy, which took place in 1999.
I may be new to the Chief’s spot, but I’ve been with the KCPD for 26 years. I’ve held every rank in the department: officer, detective, major, you name it. And I’ve had the opportunity to work in diverse units, from Central Patrol Division to the Vice Unit to the Drug Enforcement Unit to the Employment Section and Narcotics and Vice Division.
I have been married for 24 years and have two daughters: a 22-year-old and one who’s about to turn 20. In my free time, I enjoy fishing, hunting and flying remote-control helicopters.
I’m not afraid to make changes to benefit the department and the city, and I’ve already done so. You’ll be hearing about more of those soon. I also know the community is the best crime-fighting tool we have, and I look forward to working with you in the future.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.
Hello, my name is Cheryl Rose, and I’m honored to be serving as the interim chief of police of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department. I was very humbled the Board of Police Commissioners chose me to serve in this capacity until a permanent replacement for now-retired Chief James Corwin will be selected, likely in mid-October. The Board has the authority to name an interim chief under the provisions of 84.490(2) of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. I was sworn in this morning.
I always thought Chief Corwin’s blog was a great idea and an excellent way to communicate with the public we serve, so I wanted to continue it during my time in office. First, I wanted to introduce myself. I was born and raised in south Kansas City, graduating from Hickman Mills High School. I have bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the administration of justice from the University of Central Missouri.
I joined the Kansas City Police Department in 1987 and have been assigned many different places, so I have a good overview of how the department operates. Some of those assignments have included patrol, Street Crimes Unit, Internal Affairs, Robbery Unit, Planning and Research, and being commander of the South Patrol Division. Most recently I was assigned as deputy chief of the Administration Bureau, which oversees the Information Services and Human Resources divisions.
Outside of the police department, I am a board member for Rosebrooks Center, a domestic violence shelter and agency.
Again, I’m very honored to be in this position for a time, and I plan to give it my all and do the best I can.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.
I love visiting neighborhood meetings. It’s a great way to get the pulse of the community, discuss pressing issues and talk about the wonderful work the men and women of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department do. Unfortunately, I can’t attend neighborhood meetings as frequently as I’d like. But I’d still like the opportunity to hear from the community, chat about important issues and tell you about the amazing things members of the police department do day in and day out – which is why we’re launching this blog.
With more than 319 square miles to patrol and a day-time population of more than 1 million people to serve, the KCPD has a tremendous responsibility, and you deserve to know more about us. One of the biggest issues facing our department right now is the budget, and we’ll be placing pertinent information on that topic up here regularly.
I want this blog to serve as a place where you can hear about our latest news, officers’ heroics, crime statistics and patterns, and my take on the issues of the day. You also can tell me what you’re thinking by clicking on the “e-mail the Chief” link at the bottom of each post. We’re here to protect and serve you, so your feedback is important. Feel free to link this blog to yours or put it on your Web page.
It’s an honor to serve you, and welcome to my blog. You can e-mail your comments to me at kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.
