May 15, 2017, Public Forum

MINUTES OF THE
BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC FORUM
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2017

A meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri was held on Monday, May 15, 2017, at Avila University, 11901 Wornall Road, Kansas City.

PRESENT:
Commissioner Leland M. Shurin, President
Commissioner Alvin L. Brooks, Vice President
Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James, Jr., Member

ABSENT:
Commissioner Angela Wasson-Hunt, Treasurer
Commissioner Michael C. Rader, Member
Mr. David V. Kenner, Secretary/Attorney

Commissioner Shurin opened the forum at 6:33 p.m. He introduced the Board and opened the forum to the public for comments. Commissioner Wasson-Hunt, Commissioner Rader, and Secretary/Attorney David Kenner had excused absences. The following points were raised by the members of the public in attendance:

1) Joshua Robinson: The Chief should be someone that is knowledgeable of the City’s history.

2) Pete Eglitis: The Chief should be someone that is local, that knows the City and the Department. The Chief should have good attendance, and interact with community members on a regular basis. The Chief should require body cameras.

3) Sarah Taylor: Will the new police chief screen potential hires for mental health conditions and any affiliation with hate groups or organized crime? What will the new police chief do to ensure that the officers are not terrorizing the people that they are charged with protecting and serving?

4) Eapen Thampy: The Chief should be someone that promotes more officers on the streets of Kansas City.

5) Susan Ramirez: Neighborhoods should have the same amount of patrol as the City’s entertainment districts. The Chief needs to bring back the Community Interaction Officers in neighborhoods, and increase the number of officers on the streets.

6) Retired Sergeant Les Ramsey: The Chief should be an outside candidate that will provide fresh ideas because the current command staff has not provided the change that the Department needs. The backbone of the Department is patrol, and the Department needs more officers on patrol.

7) Brad Lucht: The Department is understaffed in officers. The Chief should be someone who interacts and makes relationships within the community.

8) Officer Timothy Griddine: The Department is severely understaffed, and it needs to be addressed immediately. The Board needs to meet with the officers and members of the Department to discuss the internal needs of the Department.

9) Jeremy Finn: The Chief needs to be a leader. The Chief needs to be involved in the community as much as possible.

10) Gilda Williams: The Chief needs to be active in the community, and knowledgeable of the City’s diversity.

11) John Sharp: The Chief should be a local applicant. A local applicant will already have relationships built around the metropolitan area.

12) Antonio Smith: The Chief should have historical understanding of Kansas City. The Chief should be involved in the community.

13) State Representative Richard Brown: The Chief should be a local applicant, so that they are already familiar with the Kansas City area and have relationships built around the community. The Chief should be someone that is respected by the members of the Department. The Chief should be someone that is involved with the diverse community.

14) Robert Jones: Mr. Jones had concerns about an ongoing land dispute.

15) Tammy Ellis: The Chief needs to be an outside applicant that is a diverse person.

With no other comments being offered, the forum ended at 7:35 p.m.

___________________
President

_________________________
Secretary/Attorney

 

Board of Police Commissioners Minutes