Coalition to Hold Community Listening Sessions in Search for New Kansas City Missouri Police Chief

Kansas City, Missouri residents will have a chance to share their vision for the city’s next police chief in a series of listening sessions across the KCMO community. The listening sessions are being convened by a broad-based coalition of business, civic, ecumenical, and interfaith organizations. The idea began during discussions between the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, and pastors involved in Getting to the Heart of the Matter and was quickly expanded to include 15 organizations. For a full list of those organizations participating, see below.

Our intention is to present the findings of these listening sessions to the Board of Police Commissioners at one of the Board’s upcoming meetings.

The goal of these listening sessions is two-fold: to determine the qualities that the community feels will be most valuable in the next police chief, and to strengthen community trust between Kansas City area residents and the KCMO police department. The listening sessions are designed with inclusivity and accessibility in mind. They will take place at the following locations and times:

• Tuesday, March 29, 6 pm – 8 pm at Northland Neighborhoods Inc., 5340 NE Chouteau Trafficway
• Saturday, April 2, 10 am – Noon at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center, 3700 Blue Parkway
• Saturday, April 2, 10 am – Noon at the Evangel Church, 1414 E. 103rd St.
• Wednesday, April 6, 6 pm – 8 pm at the Mattie Rhodes Cultural Center, 1701 Jarboe St. (bilingual)
• Thursday, April 7, 6 pm – 8pm at the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, 2657 Independence Ave. (multilingual)
• Thursday, April 14, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm at the KC Chamber Board Room, 1st floor of Union Station

“Some may ask why so many business organizations are involved in this effort,” says Joe Reardon, President & CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber. “The high rate of violent crime affects our employees, our companies, as well as our community’s ability to attract and retain businesses.”

“The coalition recognizes that input and voices of the Kansas City community are vital and necessary as the City’s search for a police chief moves forward. Transparency and trust are essential,” says Pastor Ron Lindsay of Getting to the Heart of the Matter. “By collaborating and leveraging each organization’s strengths, we are ensuring the diversity of Kansas City’s neighborhoods, experiences, backgrounds, and vast geography are given equal opportunities to participate in the listening sessions.”

Attendees at each session will have the opportunity to answer the same set of questions presented across the series. Virtual attendees will be able to answer those questions in an online format. Those questions are also available online to those unable to attend.

The Listening Sessions are patterned after a similar and successful process used by the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce during that city’s search for a new chief.

Below is the full list of organizations participating in the community listening sessions:

• Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City
• Black Chamber of Commerce
• Civic Council of Greater Kansas City
• Downtown Council
• Getting to the Heart of the Matter
• The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
• Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Hispanic Economic Development Corporation
• KC Common Good
• Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce
• Northeast Chamber of Commerce
• Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Prospect Business Association
• South Kansas City Alliance
• South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce