KCPD considers options for budget cuts

The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is considering its options for budget cuts after city officials said Tuesday 4.5 percent citywide cuts could be on the horizon.

That would amount to a more than $10 million shortfall for KCPD.

SHORE UP THAT FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT.THE PROPOSED BUDGETCUTS COULD HAVE AMAJOR IMPACT ON THEKANSAS CITY POLICEDEPARTMENT.CHIEF RICK SMITH MADETHAT ARGUMENT TODAY ATA LENGTHY BOARD OFPOLICE MEETING.MORE THAN 85-PERCENTOF THE DEPARTMENT'SBUDGET IS SPENT ONSALARIES.AS THE 41 ACTION NEWSI-TEAM'S ANDY ALCOCKREPORTS, CUTS COULDPOTENTIALLY REDUCE THEFORCE BY OVER 200OFFICERS.CHIEF RICK SMITH/KCPD"TO COME UP WITH THESEKIND OF NUMBERSTHERE'S JUST ONLY ONEWAY TO DO THAT AND ISPERSONNEL.CHIEF RICK SMITH SOUNDSOFF AT THE KC POLICEBOARD MEETING ABOUTPOTENTIAL CUTS TO HISFORCE.WITH THE GLOBALPANDEMIC, THE CITYMANAGER NOTES KANSASCITY'S REVENUES HATAKEN A HIT.THE PROPOSAL....TO TRIMCITY DEPARTMENTBUDGETS ACROSS THEBOARD 4-POINT-5PERCENT.IN A TWEET, MAYORQUINTON LUCAS WROTETHAT CUT COULD MEANTHE LOSS OF 212 POLICEOFFICERS.IN THE PAST 10 DAYS,KCPD HAS BEEN TRYINGTO COME UP WITH WAYSTO ABSORB THAT BUDGETHIT."WE'VE TALKED ABOUTIMPLEMENTING SOMEPROGRAMS TO GETPEOPLE TO TAKE EARLYRETIREMENT, INCENTIVEPACKAGES, SOMETHING OFTHAT NATURE THROUGHATTRITION WITHOUTHAVING TO LAY ANYBODYOFF."THE FRATERNAL ORDER OFPOLICE AND OTHERS HAVEPUSHED FOR YEARS FORADDITIONAL POLICE ONTHE STREETS.AS WE'VE PREVIOUSLYREPORTED, KCPD WAS ATITS PEAK IN THE LASTDECADE AT THE END OF2013 WITH 1427 OFFICERBY THE END OF 2017, THATNUMBER HAD DROPPED TO1282.BY LAST YEAR IT WASBACK UP TO 1340 JUSTOVER THE CURRENT 1335.SUPPORTERS OF ALARGER KCPD FORCEARGUE THE MOREOFFICERS ARE ON THESTREETS, THE LESSVIOLENT CRIME THERE IS.KANSAS CITY NUMBERSSEEM TO SUPPORT THECLAIM OF AT LEAST SOMECORRELATION.IN 2014 FOR EXAMPLE,WHEN KCPD WAS AT IPEAK IN FORCE NUMBERS,THERE WERE A TOTAL OF79 HOMICIDES.LESS THAN HALF WAYTHROUGH 2020, THEREARE ALREADY 81 KANSASCITY HOMICIDES."THE CURRENT HOMICIDETRACK WE'RE ONREQUIRES A LOT OFOVERTIME"IF THE BUDGET CUTSBECOME REALITY FORKCPD, THEY WOULDREDUCE THE FORCE WELLBEYOND ANY RECENGAINS.AT KCPD HEADQUARTERSDOWNTOWN, I'INVESTIGATOR ANDYALCOCK, 41 ACTION NE