in that situation, the mayor’s office said.Īfter racial injustice protests in 2020 sparked calls for more police accountability, Lucas and some City Council members passed two ordinances that would have given city officials some control over how $42.5 million of the police department’s $239 million budget for 2021-2022 fiscal year would be spent. It’s believed to be the largest city in the U.S. Kansas City, with a population of about 508,000, about 28% Black, is the only Missouri city without local control of its police force. Mayor Quinton Lucas, who is the only person on the Board of Police Commissioners not appointed by the governor, has indicated the proposal will be challenged in court. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)Ī key legislative backer says Kansas City police need the support because some Democrats want to defund the force - a charge city leaders vehemently deny.Ī local civil rights leader sued on behalf of city taxpayers, arguing that allowing the state to control the city’s police force amounts to “taxation without representation” and discriminates against Kansas City's large Black population, which experiences much of its violent crime. Leaders in Kansas City, Mo., don't control the city's police department, hire the police chief or determine how the department spends its tax dollars.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |