KCPD budget-cut proposal met with skepticism

A proposal to cut the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department budget due to pandemic-related revenue losses is being met with skepticism by the city’s top officer.

K-C-P-D SAYS CRIMENUMBERS ARE FINALLYTRENDING DOWNWARD....LEAVING MANYCONCERNED WITH THEPOTENTIAL FOR CUTS INTHE DEPARTMENT.THE I-TEAM'S ANDYALCOCK HAS REACTION.PROSECUTORS ACCUSEDERRELL WADE OFSHOOTING A MAN IN THELEG BECAUSE WHEN HETRIED TO ROB HIM, HEFOUND AN EMPTY WALLET.AFTER A JUDGE LET WADEOUT OF JAIL ON HIS OWNRECOGNIZANCE, HE'S NOWACCUSED OF AN ARMEDCARJACKING, LEADINGPOLICE ON A HIGH SPEEDCHASE AND THENCRASHING INTO ANDKILLING AN INNOCENTVICTIM, RICKYDONALDSON.WADE REMAINS INFEDERAL CUSTODY.TIM GARRISON/U.S. ATTORNEY"THERE ARE CERTAINADVANTAGES TO DETAINFOLKS OTHER THANSIMPLY IN THE JACKSONCOUNTY JAIL."ACCORDING TO NEWLYRELEASED NUMBERS,OPERATION LEGEND, ACOOPERATIVE EFFORTWITH 200 ADDITIONALFEDERAL OFFICERSHELPING KCPD, THEREHAVE BEEN MORE THAN500 ARRESTS AND ADOWNWARD TREND INVIOLENT CRIME.WITH THAT BACKDROP,KANSAS CITY, FACINGDECLINING PANDEMICRELATED REVENUES, MAYBE FORCED TO CUT ITSBUDGET, INCLUDING FORPOLICE.THE CURRENT STARTINGPOINT FOR DISCUSSIONSIS AN 11 PERCENT ORROUGHLY $26-MILLIONDOLLAR CUT WHICHCOULD RESULT IN 400LAYOFFS.CHIEF RICK SMITH/KCPD"I THINK WE CAN ALL HAVEAN IDEA THAT THATPROBABLY WOULD HAVE AHUGE EFFECT ON OURABLIITY TO RESPOND TOCERTAIN THINGS."FRATERNAL ORDER OFPOLICE PRESIDENT BRADLEMON WAS MORE DIRECT.WITH A NEW HOMICIDERECORD LIKELY TO BE SETTHIS YEAR, LEMON SAIDCUTTING THE POLICEDEPARTMENT BUDGETWOULD BE QUOTE,"RECKLESS ANDDANGEROUS."WHILE KANSAS CITYMAYOR QUINTON LUCASSAID DRASTIC CUTSWOULDN'T BE PRUDENT,HE DIDN'T COMMIT TO APOSITION.MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS/KANSASCITY"WE WILL WORK TO MAKESURE WHATEVER WE DO ISRESPONSIBLE AND LOOKSTO ALL OF THE DIFFERENTISSUES RELATED TOCRIME.""THERE'S TIME TO GETKANSAS CITY'S BUDGET,INCLUDING FOR THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT,SORTED OUT.THE MAYOR AND CITYCOUNCIL ARE EXPECTEDTO VOTE ON THE BUDGETIN FEBRUARY OR MARCH.I'M INVESTIGATOR ANDYALCOCK 41 ACTION NEWS.THE KANSAS CITY BOARDOF POLICECOMMISSIONERS ISSCHEDULED TO MEETTOMORROW TO DISCUSSKCPD ISSUES.ANDY WILL BE THERE --AND WE'LL LET YOU