KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) – Local groups are asking for the resignation of the Kansas City police chief.
During a joint press conference, Urban League of Kansas City, NAACP local chapter and MORE2 were calling for Kansas City, Missouri Police Chief Rick Smith to resign.
The group said in the conference that Chief Smith lacks competency and compassion.
The members are spending most time on @kcpolice Chief Rick Smith resigning.They are criticizing that officers under investigation are returning to work. And the say the process for accountability is flawed. Reaching out to the department for a response. @KCTV5 pic.twitter.com/ijBDk565RB
— Angie Ricono (@angiericono) June 3, 2020
The groups are very upset at how officer incidents are handled. They point to the incident involving Breona Hill where it appears an officer is kneeling on Breona Hill’s neck. Those officers face assault charges.
The groups say Chief Smith is setting the tone and making it difficult to hold officers accountable through different legal maneuvers.
“We’ve got to change these policies and procedures and these practices that have suppressed and oppressed black people for more than 400 years,” Gwen Grant with Urban League said.
“I know six mothers, six mothers who have lost their children in this community to KCPD,” Lora McDonald with MORE2 said.
KCTV5 News was sent a joint statement from the local groups.
KCPD Chief Rick Smith was appointed in 2017. @moresquared says prior to him getting the job their group was working on getting more police accountability, but it came to a halt with Smith. pic.twitter.com/1Noc6nihCv
— Kaci Jones (@KaciKCTV5) June 3, 2020
Urban League of Kansas City also sent KCTV5 News a statement.
“It is crystal clear that the residents of Kansas City, Missouri will bring an end to the criminalization of black skin. We will hold our police department accountable for their constant role in terrorizing our community for years. We must have total and a complete reset of policies,” Rodney Williams with NAACP said.
There were some very pointed comments saying Kansas City’s ability to solve crime is terrible, people take the law in their own hands and that’s because they don’t trust the police.
“You wanna know why your solve rate is low, you have no real credible authentic relationship with the community. People do not help police solve crimes. They go out and handle the business themselves when they don’t trust law enforcement. So we need to sit down and work this out,” Grant said.
The top three demands the groups made and emphasized all are important. They want Chief Smith gone, they want body cameras for the entire department, and they want local control.
Right now, we don’t have that, we have a board of commissioners appointed by the governor. So they want that change. Local rule, local accountability.
A petition is circling on social media calling for the chief’s resignation.
Also a petition circulating with more than 500 signatures calling for Chief Smith to resign: https://t.co/2XKFq9jlbb
— Kaci Jones (@KaciKCTV5) June 3, 2020