Rev. Dr. Rodney E. Williams, President
NAACP Kansas City, Missouri Branch
The Kansas City Missouri Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is adamantly against Senate Bill 53&60. The City of Kansas City requires that all City employees live within the city limits. The Police Department should not be the exception. It’s irresponsible to think or believe that the KCPD can provide community policing to a community they don’t live in and have no connection with. The lack of residence requirements for police officers will contribute to widening the gap between the community and the KCPD. Since Kansas City is good enough for those of the police department to work and earn a living it should be good enough for those desiring to protect and serve to raise their families.
In regards to respiratory chokeholds our stance is clear and consistent in that we have seen too many people of color killed through these techniques. The history of the KCPD has forfeited the trust of the community therefore the authorized use of deadly force can’t be trusted especially when it comes to black and brown lives. African Americans and people of color have felt the brunt of chokeholds which resulted in death. The authorized use of respiratory chokeholds is another tool that can be used in the killing of African American and people of color in Kansas City.
Sexual Misconduct of Police officers is a revealing act that demonstrates moral decay of many of those on the KCPD. When we reach the point in which we must have statues that spell put that police officers will be punished for having sexual relationships with detainees speaks loud about the culture of the police department. We must realize that when these acts take place the punishment of Class E Felony is not enough. The action of the police officers involved in sexual misconduct is nothing short of RAPE and they should be charges as such.