Big-dollar changes called for at KCPD

Changes coming for KC police
A year-long, $250,000 study wants Kansas City police to buy hundreds of new police cars and hire more call-takers so a third of 911 callers don't end up on hold.
The 369-page Berkshire Report, which will be available in PDF format at www.kcpd.org after the police board meeting today, urges the department to increase response time, especially in the Northland - average 14.5-minute wait.

Correction: This post originally said that the report recommended hiring more officers. I misread the Star story. Sorry about any confusion. Greg Reeves

Comments

[JC_in_KC]

Glad to see that an official 1/4 million dollar study show exactly what the police officers have been saying for years. Smart spending once again. Hopefully the board will listen this time. Although with the amount of intelligence on the board, I doubt it.

[Doc]

Some of that article I support some I don't
I don't support
1.Buying an additional 470 patrol cars for $10.2 million so every patrol officer and sergeant can take the cars home after each shift.

This to me is a waste what good does a patrol car do sitting in the driveway of an off-duty officer?

I see that now in OP and those cars just sit there. I would think that after an officer is off-duty that is his time for R&R. What a little role playing with the wife. Come on.

[T :)]

LOL, Doc, I like the way you think :)

They should just make do with what they already have. Over 10 mil just for new cars, that money could have been better spent elsewhere.

[Harry P]

I'm with ya Doc... The added fuel costs would break the city.

[G]

You don't see any benefit in having a police car parked in hundreds of Kansas City neighborhoods, broadcasting to everyone that an armed and trained law enforcement officer lives on the block and is within seconds of responding should an incident arise?

Really? That's not worth a few million of your tax dollars that would have been wasted otherwise on another pointless anti-drug campaign?

Really?

[Doc]

Well that's the way I see it, I agree on the more call-takers and more policemen and cars to accommodate them, but disagree on the, scrapping the current deployment of two officers per patrol car, I'm sorry but policemen risk their life daily, I would feel better if I had someone backing me up.

[Doc]

G,
I see them cars in my hood and guess what the cop isn't home so how does that help me?

[Doc]

I guess the cop car could start itself and bag the bad guy without the actual cop being there.

[T :)]

I can see the headline now....Lethal force used by patrol car to stop home invasion...

[Doc]

lol T, ya maybe it's a Kit Car.

[JC_in_KC]

It is funny how you think a patrol car wont stop crime in your neighborhood, but after Sept. 11 you all probably voted for all new police stations. Even though not one new officer was added. How again does a building many miles away kee you safe?

[Doc]

Hold on, I think I heard someone trying to break in, I better run over and tell the patrol car next door to get in action since the officer is in Texas.

[Doc]

It doesn't JC my .357 does

[G]

Yer driving down the street, you see a cop car, you don't instinctively check your speed? Slow down? etc?

If you are a criminal, and you are planning a crime, do you select a house on a street with a cop car, or do you pick a street without one?

YOU know the cop aint home, do I know that? Do would-be criminals know that?

[Doc]

Why would I I don't speed so why would I check my speed?
If you see 3~4 papers in the driveway with a cop car in it what would that make you think?

[Doc]

G, I'm the son of a Deputy Sheriff, who was the son of a Deputy Sheriff and Nephew of a Sheriff, I know most the laws. It was drilled in. A car is a car, doesn't matter if it has pretty lights on it or not.

[JC_in_KC]

wow you do not speed, really? ever? I find it hard to believe you have never broken that threshhold just once.

[Doc]

Well I did do 85 in Montana when there was OH NO SPEED LIMIT!

[JC_in_KC]

I will stick to my statement. I find it very hard to believe that you have not broken the speed limit laws at least once. Maybe going down a hill or whatever the case.

[Doc]

No I don't JC I was just rearended in MO about 3 months ago because I don't speed. Did $6,000 damage to my truck and injured my wife.

[Doc]

JC I do know that cops give about a 5MPH over the legal limit and if I was to watch my speedometer while I drive I would not be seeing the road. I don't know to many people with 4 eyes in the front of their head.

[JC_in_KC]

Either way that is off topic. I definately say the department needs new cars. I know many of them have well over a 100k miles on them. Some of the backup cars have 200k ++ on them. I would not say a car for every officer, but a car for every two man patrol would work just fine. Whether you agree or not take home cars are a deterant, just as having a security alarm, or lights on. Every little bit helps.

[Doc]

Also, If you think about it how many cops give chase at HIGH speeds which are above the legal limit which means they are also breaking the LAW.

[JC_in_KC]

So if you never look at your speedomoter, how do you know you don't speed?

[Doc]

I agree with that I believe I posted that earlier.

[JC_in_KC]

why do you want to turn this into a bash on cops debate as usual doc. You are right, you are the perfect human. Noone can come close to you, cops are bad, they are criminals, lets not give them anything.

I think the money should be spent on etiquette for the officers.

After being accused of something (can't go into detail) by an officer, I have little respect for them anymore.

[Doc]

I never said I didn't look at my speedometer, I do along with rear view, side mirrors, and a long ways in front of me. I am very conscientious of my surroundings when driving. The accident I had was at night very dark, no street light, I signaled of the hyway and the guy that rearended me feel asleep at the wheel, I saw him coming but I was moving to the offramp to a rest area and didn't think anymore about him, until he hit me doing about 70MPH He admited it.

[Doc]

JC you have problems I never said I bash cops if I did then I'm bashing my family. I have the utmost respect for the law. But we all know there are bad cops. I can post a dozen link to that effect. I think I saw about 3~4 just last night.

[Doc]

I didn't turn this into a bash all cops, I agreed with about half the article, We need more cops and dispatchers.

[BS Steve]

Are you serious in the Northland?

Why do they need more cops up there get real they have a number of areas split Gladstone,Platte City,Riverside,State HwPD,
Parkville,Platte County PD,Clay County PD,Northmore Pd,Liberty PD,North KC PD etc. that should pretty much sum it up on the locals all Metro North has is a small area to cover I am sorry trying to use that scam on me is not gonna work to get more money to line their pockets.The biggest are KC has to deal with is Zona Rosa and it is not much if you been there.

Gimme a break using the North as a excuse is not it I know the area its a scam.

[JC_in_KC]

Obviously you are not a northlander. Northland is about 40% of the total size of KC. It is extremely spread out, from 435 & front to north of the airport. The northland has (last I checked) about half the officers of any of the inner city stations. So yes more officers are needed for the northland. Besides the northland is picking up about half the tax bill anyway, so the least they can do is throw us some more cops.

[BS Steve]

not to mention one of the biggest areas up north for KCPD to deal with is Barry Road and part of North Oak.Metros "Beehive" the yellow building sits right across from Metro North Mall. North Oak is split 3 ways Gladstone PD,KCPD,Northmore PD this is a scam to get money I am not stupid.

[Doc]

Be careful BS Steve,
Robocop, I mean JC in KC might be a deskclerk I mean officer there.

[JC_in_KC]

Northmore PD, what is that about 3 cops. That is funny. Gladstone splits duties between fire & police, so one good fire and their dept is wiped.

[JC_in_KC]

First of all Doc, I am no more a cop than you are. I am though extremly truthfull, i do speed. Keep up the dumb a$$ comments about desk clerks and cops. It only shows your love for cops. If you do have cops in your family, they are either extremely disappointed in you, disowned you, or they are the corrupt ones you talk about.

[BS Steve]

BS JC I have been in the Northland for 8 years I know the area did I mention that little hole off 435 Claycomo?Or how bout the other hole in the wall that covers upto front street from kings on 210 Randolph KCPDs are is way less than 40 miles square do you homework a little better not to mention Oakwood PD ontop of it look at the jurisdictions before you try that on me and people up north when they see that KC is using them as an excuse will fight this to the end trust me it is a scam.

[BS Steve]

Not to mention (ifs) do not work I dont care how many cops a PD has if it is not KC's jurrisdiction they have no right to use it as an excuse to fatten their pockets get real .

[JC_in_KC]

noone said anything about 40 sq miles. Read carefully before you comment. Also i know every nook of the jurisdiction of the northland. I did work up there for years. So you want to argue jurisdictions bring it on. But I would come with something better than a 10 man department that covers less than a square mile.

[Doc]

A comment out of the crack the lord split.

[BS Steve]

Goin up to the airport you have Smithville and Platte City on either side and the Airport has their own PD so the area KC covers isnt anything your lucky to see a KC cops in that area on anygiven day gimme a break get out more JC you may learn somthing.

[Doc]

So in other words JC you are blowing hot air about knowing what a cops life is like, I'll tell you something I had a brother that was killed in the line of duty that was probably protecting your sorry ass from the perp!

[BS Steve]

Gladstone is more than a square mile sorry to break the news to ya also Clay County is more prominent in the rural areas than KC so you bring it on I have been there for 8 years I lived I have eyes and see what is going on get real buddy for a cop you have no idea other than sticking up for your buddies ideas which are bogus like I said other cities towns etc. if they do not have KC labled on them they are not KC's worries period use whatever excuse you want.

[Doc]

Hey BS is this sorry excuse claiming to be a cop.{JC}

[Dalton]

Doc.
Get a life! You are the person who bashes cops when they are not around but kiss their butt when they are. Can't have it both ways. They do a thankless job and having people like you out there makes it even worse.

[BS Steve]

This is a big scam to use the North for a big check for KC and people that are clueless about the area are gonna fall into it.Also you are not gonna tell me a thing I drove a tow truck for along time up north trust me you do not need to be a cop to know jurrisdictions.

[Doc]

Dalton, you appear not able to read why not got back to school and then read my earlier post.

[Moral City USA]

I thought we saw in yesterday's paper that crime was at a 32 year low. Why do we need to pump more money into law enforcement?

These extra cops and car will just end up giving out more speeding tickets.

[w]

RE Having KCPD Officers take home their cars = detour crime in neighborhoods. A majority of KCPD live in the Northland. So as far as needing more Officers up north, well there you go. If this goes through, you will have plenty of crime deterrent up North. There are very few POs living South of the river, and even fewer in high crime neighborhoods. So I don't buy this argument of the presence of a Police vehicle being a crime deterrent.
What they really need are more Detectives. Trust me. As a Defense Investigator I am tired of getting half worked shoddy cases from them. I get tired of doing the work they should have/could have done a year ago when the crime took place. Besides, most KCPD Detectives will tell you they have way more cases than they can handle and the cases and ultimately the victims of crime suffer for it.

[Any]

Hey guys you are arguing about dumb things. The current police car that I ride in has 120000 miles on it. The other car I had before that had 260000 miles on it.It was not a take home car either.It was a patrol car. It dragged every time I went over a hill, the seat was broke down and various things that were wrong with it. What I'm trying to say is that the fleet is in bad condition, somtimes when I show up to work I have no car to get into at the start of my shift. The take home car program is cheaper in the long run, due to the factors that the car is better taken car of because one officer is responsible for it. If the police department was to hire more officers (not just keep up with retirements and officers that quit) we would not have enough cars to put them in.