July 27, 2017, Public Forum
MINUTES OF THE
BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC FORUM
THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017
A meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri was held on Thursday, July 27, 2017, at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.
PRESENT:
Commissioner Leland M. Shurin, President
Commissioner Angela Wasson-Hunt, Treasurer
Commissioner Michael C. Rader, Member
Commissioner Nathan Garrett, Member
Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James, Jr., Member
Mr. David V. Kenner, Secretary/Attorney
Major Richard Smith, Chief of Police Finalist
Chief Keith Humphrey, Chief of Police Finalist
The public forum was called to order at 6:04 p.m. by Commissioner Shurin. He introduced the Board and candidates, and explained the question and answer process in which Secretary/Attorney David Kenner would ask questions to the candidates that had been submitted by members of the public prior to the forum, and each candidate would be given three minutes to answer each question. The order of answering would be rotated for each question. Both candidates provided a five minute opening statement. Mr. Kenner proceeded to ask the following questions:
1) What are your opinions on the use of non-lethal crowd control methods and de-escalation training?
2) What is your plan to work with community partners to reduce violence in our community, and what is your philosophy on community policing, including faith-based groups and churches to work collectively in reducing crime?
3) Kansas City, MO, in 2017, is on pace to have a 50% increase in homicides, violent crimes, and gun violence. What do you see as the cause of this violence, and what is your plan to reduce it?
4) How will you demonstrate that you are a leader who is honest and has integrity, and thereby ensure public confidence in your strength of character?
5) What new tactics will you implement, and how will you improve existing methods of policing in the Kansas City area?
6) How do you reduce drive-by shootings?
7) Currently, our country is experiencing a great amount of distrust between the police and the minority community. How will you address this?
8) How have you worked to leverage technology to improve efficient policing in your current command, and what do you plan do to as Chief of Police of KCPD to that same end?
9) Currently, KCPD has an LGBTQ Liaison; how will you utilize this position, and will you keep this position?
10) Do you believe the Department is top-heavy? If so, what will you do about it?
11) What are a few things that citizens can do on a daily basis to help fight crime, other than being law-abiding?
12) What plans do you have to increase diversity in recruitment and retention within the Department?
13) The Department currently has fewer than ten commanders that are African-American or Hispanic. Our city is increasing in the number of people that are African-American and Hispanic, as well as other minorities, and it appears that the Department has decreased in the number of African-Americans and Hispanics in law enforcement. What will the new Chief do to increase the diversity in the command staff, as well as increase the number of African-American and Hispanic patrol officers and sergeants?
14) KC NoVA uses data and social services to address group related crimes, as opposed to domestic crimes or crimes around interpersonal conflicts. What do you view as the current challenges and strengths of KC NoVA, will you support KC NoVA, and do you plan to make any changes to the program? If so, what changes?
15) Do you intend to get more officers on the street? If so, how? As general or targeted deployment? As follow up, do targeted deployments work?
16) What decisions have you made as a commander that you regret the most? What have you learned from those decisions?
17) Please detail your experience with officer-involved shootings. What was your role, and how did you handle the situation?
18) Should the City judge your performance by the murder rate? If not, what other measures may be used?
Both of the candidates responded to each question.
Commissioner Shurin thanked everyone for attending the forum and submitting
questions for the candidates. Comment cards were provided to the forum attendees, to submit final remarks after the forum. The forum ended at 8:07 p.m.
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President
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Secretary/Attorney
Board of Police Commissioners Minutes