KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) – Civil rights groups Monday called for a state investigation by the Kansas City police force, saying they had a pattern of excessive violence, particularly against black men.
The Urban Council, a consortium of groups including the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, called on the US Department of Justice to intervene, the Kansas City Star reported.
Civil rights activists also criticized the mostly governor-appointed Board of Police Commissioners, which makes Kansas City one of the few major metropolitan areas in the US without full local police control.
“There is a lack of accountability on the part of the KCPD and no means of redress because we have no local control,” said Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Kansas City Urban League. “So our only option is to come together to initiate a Justice Department investigation into the KCPD.”
A Kansas City police spokesman made a statement saying the agency is already working with the Department of Justice to report possible civil rights violations or excessive violence under a 2015 agreement.
“We have mechanisms in place to ensure that members can anonymously report any incidents of discrimination or racism,” said Spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said in an email. “We take every incident of reported racism very seriously and investigate fully whether it affects department members or members of the community.”
The district attorney is also backing an investigation by the Justice Department.
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