New North Patrol Division opens new North Patrol About 300 will serve the community growing west side members, po- of the Northland. lice and city “The Northland officials cele- is approximately brated the 40 percent devel- grand opening oped at this point, of the new with a strong po- North Patrol tential for popula- Division station tion growth and with tours and a commercial devel- ribbon-cutting opment,” Second ceremony on District City June 23. Councilmember “This facility Dan Fowler said. replaces the “The 15,000-acre rather iconic Twin Creeks de- building at Bar- velopment east of ry Road and the KCI Airport is 169 Highway expected to grow that many of As North Patrol Division officers held the ribbon, Major Roger Lewis and past, present Board of the population of you affection- Police Commissioners and City Councilmembers cut it to open the new station June 23. KCMO and Platte ately have County by 70,000 known as the ‘Bumblebee,’” Interim Chief of Police David Zim- people during the next 20 years, according to the Platte County Eco- merman said. “Well-known as it may be, that building could no nomic Development Council. It is likely the North Patrol Division offic- longer function as one of our police stations.” ers would serve all of those people.” When it opened in 1976, about 15 people were assigned to Community members who attended the ribbon-cutting event had the North Patrol Division. Commensurate with the area’s population opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the station in areas that growth, there are now 95 KCPD members assigned to North Pa- won’t be open to the public. They also got to see community amenities trol, making the old building extremely cramped. In addition to its that weren’t available at the old station, such as a community meeting size, the “Bumblebee” had limited parking, structural problems, space and outdoor patio for public use. security issues, and a detention area that was no longer usable. Although the ribbon-cutting and open-house took place June 23, the The new station at 11000 N.W. Prairie View Road sits on nine new North Patrol officially opened for business 6 a.m. June 28. North acres adjacent to the KCI Airport. The land already was City- Patrol Division members low-
owned. At 26,500 square feet, it is 77 percent larger than the ered the American flag at the “Bumblebee.” The construction cost of the project was $9 million old station at sunrise on June Body camera test results Pg. 2 and was funded by the Public Safety Sales Tax voters approved in 26 and transported it for dis- play at the new station that 2010. This is the final major police capital project of that tax. Combined with the first sales tax approved in 2002, the City and morning. The North Patrol KCPD is hiring
KCPD have replaced five aging police stations, remodeled the station was closed for two Pg. 3 Police Foundation names new nearly 80-year-old Headquarters building, and constructed a new days for personnel to move to chair
Crime Lab, Evidence Warehouse, Police Academy and Multi- their new digs.
Officially Speaking Purpose Building. As the first Kansas City Police station in Platte County, the Continued on p. 2 Pg. 4 Upcoming Events Study: Body cam program to be costly launch body-worn cameras quickly The results of last fall’s body- – created a program that was un- worn camera pilot project were un- sustainable. Some are even being veiled this month, revealing the pro- forced to roll back their programs. gram could cost more than $5 “We have taken a very million. measured approach because we “Philosophically, we support body want to be good stewards who will -worn cameras and would have im- keep the promises we make,” In- plemented them six months ago if terim Chief David money wasn’t an issue,” Deputy Zimmerman said. “If we say we’re Chief Bob Kuehl said. going to implement body-worn The KCPD engaged in a 12-week cameras, we will, and we will have pilot project in 2016 to determine the the storage, infrastructure and per- cost and infrastructure required to sonnel to properly support and implement body-worn cameras on maintain them.” all patrol officers. The pilot project A group of department was a very scaled one. The cameras members also met with many com- were used only by a few squads at a munity members to draft a policy time. Just those few officers pro- for body-worn cameras and the duced an average of 147 videos to- footage they capture. taling 82,000 megabytes (MB) a day. “We listened to their concerns The whole project produced 9,300 and combined them with lessons videos and 5.1 million MB total. Scaling that other law enforcement agencies upward department-wide, staff determined have learned in their use of body-worn camer- KCPD would need 2.4 petabytes of storage order to get the videos from the patrol stations as to create a policy that we believe fosters (that’s more than 1 billion megabytes). They where they will be downloaded to the central transparency and accountability while pro- took into consideration that video must be server, the Department needs a robust fiber tecting community members’ privacy,” Chief stored for at least 90 days because that’s how optic connection. Zimmerman said. long residents have to file a complaint. Under “We can have all the data in the world, but KCPD has long been supportive of video to the industry-standard 5-year contract, that if there’s no highway for it to travel on, it ensure accountability, to identify any issues kind of storage would cost about $3.2 million. does no one any good,” Deputy Chief Kuehl that could require training and to provide Those are just the storage costs. The depart- said in his presentation of the project’s results indisputable accounts of incidents, Chief ment also would incur initial equipment costs, to the Board of Police Commissioners. Zimmerman said. The Department’s in-car such as cameras and servers, and annual KCPD’s current bandwidth is just enough camera systems have been in use since 1999 maintenance fees. Additional staff also would to handle the videos and storage from the and are currently installed on all 337 patrol be necessary to handle the increased requests existing in-car camera systems. It could not cars. Deputy Chief Kuehl said any body-worn for the videos both for department handle the additional data. Fortunately, police camera systems must complement the in-car investigative elements and from prosecutors are working with the City’s Information cameras already in place. and other attorneys, media and the public. Technology Department on implementing Department members will now work with Two new network administrator positions these fiber solutions. both elected City officials and staff to also would be needed. In their research, Department members also determine funding priorities, not just for the Finally, there is the infrastructure piece. In found too many agencies that – in an effort to police department but for all city services.
Continued from p. 1 In fact, residents and businesses throughout North Patrol Division should not expect any change in response times with the change in the station’s location. Officers are dispatched from wherever they are on the streets, not from the station. The new station was designed by Treanor Architects and built by Turner Construction. It has many features to improve officers’ and staff members’ safety, efficiency and comfort. Visitors to the station will notice the One Percent for Art piece to the right of the main entrance. The granite sculpture by Frank Swan- son is titled “To Serve and Protect” and is intended to convey the strong relationship between the Kansas City Missouri Police Depart- ment and the community it serves. The old “Bumblebee” station at 1001 N.W. Barry Rd. is for sale.
Informant, page 2 June 2017
Police Foundation Board names new chair, honors outgoing one
More than 160 people came to a KCPD community recruitment fair on June 24. KCPD: “We’re hiring” tention officers and patrol desk clerks. Frank Uryasz After years of a “limited hiring So the department is ramping up its freeze” imposed by tight budgets, the recruitment efforts to attract quality can- Jerry Reece, Chairman of the Kansas City Kansas City Missouri Police Department didates for all these jobs. A group of once again is recruiting heavily to add members from across the department is Police Foundation, officially stepped down on meeting regularly to develop a formal June 8. personnel to the ranks. “Based on the class sizes we’re being recruitment campaign. And a recent “Jerry cares deeply for the men and women of community recruitment fair was a re- the Kansas City Missouri Police Department authorized right now, over the next three years we need to hire 250 to 300 offic- sounding success. More than 160 people and worked tirelessly to raise funds to support attended the fair at the Brush Creek them,” said Ron Fletcher, CEO and President of ers” said Captain Chris Sicoli, com- mander of the Employment Unit. “That Community Center on June 24 to express the Police Foundation. interest in working for KCPD. The Foundation collected a little more than a may be on the conservative side, too.” Captain Sicoli said the Unit is plan- “If you want your department to re- million dollars while Reece was chairman. Dur- flect the community, you have to go out ing his tenure, a target-area project was funded ning for the future by looking at the past. He pointed to the large Academy classes to the community,” Captain Sicoli said. worth close to $475,000. It will cover a 1.8 “You can’t wait for them to come to you. square-mile area that has been identified as the with 40 to 50 people the Department had in the early to mid-1990s. Because of budget issues, we’ve been most violent area in Kansas City, Mo. waiting for people to come to us.” Replacing Jerry Reece is Frank Uryasz, who “People hired on then are hitting their 25 years (of service, when they become The turn-out at the June 24 recruitment has 25 years of senior management experience fair proved the community was ready to in educational and athletic organizations. Frank eligible to retire),” he said. “And they needed those big classes then because be part of KCPD. The Communications is the President of Drug Free Sport. He present- Unit alone racked up three pages of peo- ly serves as a consultant to the NCAA Commit- everyone hired in the ‘60s was retiring. It’s cyclical. You can see it coming.” ple who signed papers saying they were tee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical interested in applying, Sicoli said. The Aspects of Drugs. While serving 12 years as As of May 31, the department had 1,299 sworn officers. There were more event was the first KCPD-specific re- NCAA Director of Sports Sciences, he estab- cruitment event in recent memory, and lished the NCAA’s national drug testing system. than 1,420 in 2008 and 2009, according to KCPD Annual Reports. The decrease Sicoli said it was much more successful Frank received his undergraduate degree in life than other more generic forums recruit- sciences and a master’s degree in business in officers has led to increased response times. ers have attended. It worked so well that administration from the University of Nebraska, the Employment Unit is going to try to Lincoln. Although the department always took applications, the years of what Captain do the fairs quarterly in various parts of Sicoli called a “limited hiring freeze” the city. took their toll on recruitment efforts. As always, however, everything is “We want to get our name out again,” budget-dependent. Captain Sicoli said he said. “People take for granted some- the numbers the department is looking to times that we exist. We have to show hire now are within budget. The results recruiting is an active thing; it has to be of a department staffing study are due maintained. You have to keep your out soon and could impact those esti- brand out there.” mates. But for now, Captain Sicoli wants It’s not just law enforcement positions KCPD members and other members of that need filling, either. The Department the community to know the department also is hurting for dispatchers, building has a figurative “Help Wanted” sign up. operations technicians, mechanics, de- “This is a good job, and this is a good city,” he said.
Informant, page 3 June 2017 Kansas City Missouri Police Department 1125 Locust
Kansas City, MO 64106
Jefferson Isacc Civilian Retired
Bewick Larry Officer Retired
www.kcpd.org
McKiddy Richard Captain Retired
Officer Ian Weintraub Ian Officer
5170 - 234 (816)
Springer (G.L) George Detective
Officer Joe Trombino Joe Officer
Obituaries Unit Media
Detective Ray Lenoir Ray Detective
publication of KCPD’s KCPD’s of publication
Detective Richard Hulme Richard Detective
Mutzbauer Erich Officer a is Informant The
Meritorious Service Award Service Meritorious
McCune Jay Officer
Lenley Dawn Officer
Officer Whitney Thomas Whitney Officer
Retirements
integrity. and Officer Miles Stucker Miles Officer
professionalism, honor honor professionalism, Lewis Patrick Officer
with serve and protect Brannen Hollie Officer
Administrative Assistant Joyce Silvers Joyce Assistant Administrative
to is Department Police Bax Austin Officer
Year Ring Year - 25
Kansas City Missouri Missouri City Kansas Award Saving - Life
the of mission The
Retired Officer Sam Sneed Sam Officer Retired
Palmer Justin Officer
Heart Purple Morales Edward Officer
King Bobbie Officer
Officer Steven Weber Steven Officer
Green Kevin Officer
Retired Officer Sam Sneed Sam Officer Retired
Epperson LaSonia Officer
Detective Melinda Reno Melinda Detective
Academy - Fair Health DeFreece Christopher Officer
Officer John Lawrence John Officer
18 July
Ballowe Robert Sergeant
Officer Michael Holsworth Michael Officer
Division: Patrol Metro
Officer Michael Green Michael Officer
Annex HQ - Fair Health Reno Melinda Detective
Officer Joshua Gantt Joshua Officer
12 July
Alderman Larry Detective
Officer Belkis Cisneros Belkis Officer
Agnew James Detective Master
Officer Steven Bloch Steven Officer
Division Patrol South
Section Crimes Economic
Officer Luke Abouhalkah Luke Officer
- Meeting Commissioners
Citation Unit Special
Sergeant Matthew Bandler Matthew Sergeant
Police of Board Awards
Certificate of Commendation of Certificate
11 July
Officially Speaking Officially
Events Upcoming