After the recent unlawful deaths of Black men and women across America and in Kansas City, the use of excessive force and unethical practices of the KCPD have been brought to the forefront of our attention.

A joint statement presented by the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, the NAACP Kansas City branch, and MORE2 cited concerns about Chief Smith's leadership. They noted Chief Smith's unwillingness to hold his officers accountable, his refusal to issue standard probable cause statements, his non-transparent internal investigations, his blatant rejections to routine requests for criminal complaints against the police, and many other unethical practices. 

The primary role of the Police Chief is to manage and supervise all police departments and direct daily operations. This includes: hiring, training, assessing, disciplining, and firing of officers. Chief Smith has lacked responsibility, transparency, and accountability regarding the Kansas City Police Department’s actions. 

For this cause, 

We, the people, demand the following: 

• The Kansas City Police Department must accept all routine requests for criminal complaints against the Kansas City Police Department
• The Kansas City Police Department will be subject to  external investigations for all claims of excessive force in addition to internal investigations.
• Transparency in the names of the officer(s) responsible for all excessive force complaints resulting in death, including the officer(s) who murdered Donnie Sanders.
• The Kansas City Police Department must stop the premature reinstatement of officers involved in ongoing investigations of excessive force, misconduct, and homicide.
• Appeal the immunity of Officer William Thompson for his involvement in the murder of Ryan Stokes and open a new external investigation in that case.
• The resignation of Police Chief Smith. 

Kansas City allocated over $250 million in FY2020 and increased the budget by nearly $10 million for FY2021 to the Police Department despite the fact that the city of KCMO has no authority over KCPD or their actions and policies. 

As taxpayers we deserve to feel protected and served by the Police. But instead we are left with over-policed, terrorized communities that lack trust in the KCPD and the U.S. criminal justice system.