Kansas City police board sues mayor, city over budget reform

The Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners has filed suit against Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas, other city officials and KCMO itself over police budget ordinances recently passed.

OUR COMMUNITY.BUT FIRST TONIGHT - THEKANSAS CITY BOARD OFPOLICE COMMISSIONERSHAS FILED A LAWSUITAGAINST KANSAS CITY -AND MAYOR QUINTONLUCAS.IT COMES AS A NEWFUNDING PLAN FOR THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT AIMSTO REALLOCATE ABOUT42-MILLION DOLLARS.THE DEPARTMENT CANGET THAT MONEY BACK -THROUGH A CONTRACTWITH THE CITTHE LAWSUIT CALLS THEMEASURES "DEFUNDING".41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER SARAH PLAKEWAS AT TODAY'S B-O-P-CMEETING AND GOTREACTION FROM MAYORLUCAS.The Board of PolicCommissioners is suing thecity and Mayor Quinton Lucfor setting aside 42 million forcommunity services andprevention within the polidepartment..

Saying it's aviolation of state law becauseonly they have control of thepolice department.Mayor Lucas had pointedwords after the lawsuit wasfiled:This hasn't been about safety,this is about power and whohas it.

And there are some ofus saying that the system ofpower as it existed has notkept kansas citians safe,particularly people who live inthe urban core of our city, andit hasn't for decades.In a statement the Board saidwhile they understand Lucas'sand citizens frustrations, an"unexpected $42 millionchange to our budget risks adisruption in services to ourcitizens."About a week ago the citycouncil voted in twoordinances..

The mayor saysthey followed city charter.However the Board takesissue with the entire concept.In the lawsuit, they say policecan only aess the 42 millionif the board agrees to spend itthe way the city wantsI think that yeah while thisgives us some level ofnegotiation ability right, it'sstillthe sort of thing where theboard of police commissionershas to sign off on it, thepolicedepartment is still a part ofcrafting it.The city said they weralready planning to meet withpolice and the board todiscuss how the money couldbe spent.MAYOR LUCAS SAID THECITY PLANS TO FIGHT THELAWSUIT AS FAR AS ITNEEDS TO GO.A HEARING COULD BESCHEDULED FOR NEWEEK..

IN WHICH A JUDGECOULD ORDER A HALT ONTHE FUNDS, RETUREVERYTHING BACK TO THEWAY IT WAS, OR TAKSOME TIME TO THINK ONIT.SARAH PLAKE 41 ACTION