Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves has announced her intention to retire from the Police Department, the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners announced in a release Wednesday.

The release, signed by Madeline Romious, board president, said that the board will begin a search for her successor immediately and that additional details will be shared as plans are finalized. The release also said that Graves will continue in her role until a successor has been selected.

“It is with mixed emotions that we share Kansas City Police Department Chief Stacey Graves has announced her intention to retire,” the release said. “While this decision was not anticipated by the Board, we respect Chief Graves’ decision and are deeply grateful for her distinguished service, steady leadership and unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of Kansas City.”

Graves, 51, was appointed the Police Department’s first permanent female police chief and had served in the role since December 2022.

“After careful consideration and prayer, I have made the decision to retire,” Graves said in the release. “This is a bittersweet decision for me, because I love this department, the men and women of the KCPD, and the community in which we serve.

Graves continued: “It has been the honor of my life serving in the capacity of Chief of Police. I am committed to serving our city as Chief of Police until the Board of Police Commissioners names a successor.”

She had served with the Police Department since 1997 when she joined as a civilian records clerk. She then worked as an officer at the Central Patrol Division, East Patrol Division, the Drug Enforcement Unit and the Career Criminal Section.

The board had called a closed session for Wednesday to discuss “personnel matters.”

A press conference has been called for Thursday morning at 10 a.m. at police headquarters.

Graves replaced Deputy Chief Joseph Mabin, who served as interim police chief after Rick Smith retired from the Policed Department in April 2022.

Reaction to the retirement announcement

In a news release, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas congratulated Graves on her pending retirement.

“Chief Graves has rebuilt our officer ranks, instituted crime strategies that have driven down homicides and non-fatal shootings, and been a consistent presence in neighborhoods throughout our community,” said Lucas, who is a five-member of the police board. “I was proud to support her hire in 2022 and am proud of what has accomplished as Chief.”

Lucas also said he intends to work with his fellow police board members to recruit a worthy replacement to continue the progress at the Police Department and for all in the community.

Gwen Grant, president and CEO of the Urban League Greater Kansas City, said the civil rights organization was among the groups who have worked with Graves and other police officials to improve relations between the Police Department and the community it served.

“This is surprising news,” Grant said in a text message to The Star. “I wish Chief Graves all the best in her future endeavors and salute her for 29 years of public service.”

Sheryl Ferguson, an organizer with activist group It’s Time 4 Justice, said that the announcement marks an opportunity for the city to take a different approach.

“In my view, the process that resulted in Chief Graves’ appointment lacked the transparency the community deserved,” Ferguson said. “I believed then, and still believe now, that the city should have conducted a truly nationwide search rather than relying on an internal process.”

Ferguson said that the years of lawsuits and controversies involving the department have contributed to a lack of public trust. Whether fair or unfair, many in the community have questioned the accountability within the department, she said.

“Until there has been a meaningful overhaul of the department and its culture, appointing another internal candidate would, in my view, send the wrong message to a community that is looking for real change,” Ferguson said. “My hope is that this transition becomes a genuine turning point.”

Tenure marked by major events

Graves was a 25-year veteran when she was appointed chief, and took over a department whose relationships with sections of the community had been fractured over police shootings, racial tension and a seemingly lack of accountability.

She replaced Deputy Chief Joseph Mabin, who served as interim chief after Rick Smith’s exit in April 2022. Smith dealt with consistent criticism related to racial discrimination, excessive use-of-force by officers, officer accountability and a high homicide rate.

The U.S. Justice Department announced it had launched an investigation into the hiring and employment practices at the Police Department just months before Graves was appointed.

The federal agency closed its civil rights investigation in January 2025, days before President Joe Biden left office.

The federal probe was initiated after The Star published a multi-part investigative report on alleged discrimination within the police ranks.

The Justice Department’s civil rights division looked into whether there was a pattern or practice of discrimination against Black police officers in Kansas City.

Crime has been down considerably across the city this year, despite several high-profile events occurring in recent months.

Romious said in her release that there have been reductions in homicides, non-fatal shootings and property crimes during the year.

Graves frequently attended community meetings and held a series of listening sessions in 2023 to engage citizens on ways to reduce crime.

Her time in office also saw a large amount of legal settlements that were attached to cases that stretched even before her tenure as Chief. The department even dealt with budgetary issues tied to the millions of dollars in settlement payouts, as well as overtime, just this year.

Graves also dealt with the fallout of her husband, former Police Department Capt. Daniel Graves, writing a letter of support for former Police Department detective Eric DeValkenaere.

DeValkenaere was convicted of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action for the fatal shooting of Cameron Lamb in 2021. Daniel Graves wrote a letter requesting leniency from the court, saying that DeValkenaere was beginning his appeal and describing the charges as "politically motivated."

The department also dealt with crimes that made national news, including the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally in 2024, that saw one person killed, Lisa Lopez-Galvan. More than 20 people were shot, including nine children whose ages ranged from 6 to 15.

More recently, a series of interstate shootings that occurred just before the city hosted its first game of the FIFA World Cup.

Graves was also named in a lawsuit by a now former officer with the Police Department, alleging that she had made sexually charged comments to him during her time in the Human Resources department.

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