Kansas City: Lawsuit over police funding is 'false flag'
Source: AP
By MARGARET STAFFORD
LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A lawsuit seeking to stop Kansas City from rerouting a portion of the police department’s budget plants a “false flag” by suggesting the city council is trying to take control, city officials said in a court motion filed Tuesday.
The motion filed in Jackson County Court is the latest move in a legal battle that began when the city council approved an ordinance in May to move about $42 million of the police department’s budget into a new fund. That money would be used to fund social services and intervention programs in response to Kansas City’s high crime rate.
The state-controlled Board of Police Commissioners sued the city, the city council, Mayor Quinton Lucas and other city officials, contending the change violates state law that gives the board complete control over the police department. The board also filed a motion asking a Jackson County judge to order the city to return the $42 million to the board’s control.
A second ordinance passed in May would require the city manager to negotiate with the board over how the new fund is spent. Generally, the board dictates how the police department operates and how its money is spent.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/mo-state-wire-kansas-michael-brown-kansas-city-business-f47a4f20cf91900b959c60ac43909f6f
