Controversial Mo. Police Chief to Retire Earlier than He Told Officials
By Glenn E. Rice
Source The Kansas City Star
In its first public statement, the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners confirmed on Monday that Police Chief Rick Smith will retire in the spring, several months earlier than what he had previously told the board in private.
The statement came after an hourlong closed-door meeting at Kansas City police headquarters where commissioners discussed personnel issues. The Star has previously reported that Smith was being forced out of his position as police chief.
While commissioners did not provide a specific departure date, they said in a statement that Smith would remain chief until the City Council has approved it's annual fiscal budget.
"The board never had a vote to terminate Chief Smith. The chief has long planned to retire after approximately five years as chief, culminating his 35 years of loyal service to department," board president Bishop Mark C. Tolbert read from a prepared statement. "The chief will stay at least through the current budget process.
"The chief remains in good standing with the board of police commissioners, and no further information will be provided at this time."
No other board member spoke as they left police headquarters.
Smith was not present at the closed-door meeting. Four members of the police board participated in the meeting in person and Commissioner Cathy Dean was present but took part via teleconference.
Mayor Quinton Lucas and Tolbert met with Smith at City Hall last Tuesday.
No further details about what transpired during that meeting were provided by the mayor's office. But multiple sources said commissioners had enough votes if needed to terminate Smith.
A memo addressed to Smith from Tolbert and obtained by The Star said that Smith would announce his retirement March 1 and that his last day will be April 22.
Smith, who was appointed chief in August 2017, will continue to be paid his current salary until August. Smith has an annual salary of about $191,000.
The police department on Tuesday said only that Smith plans to retire next year.
A source on Wednesday told The Star that Dawn Cramer, the newest member of the board, had been supportive of early retirement for Smith but was not ready to go as far as terminating him.
Cramer, who was appointed to the police board in August, said in a statement, "I am very appreciative of his service to the city and he has earned it. I never stated my support to terminate his contract and he has my full support until he retires."
While her term on the police board began in the summer, the Missouri Senate will still need to confirm her appointment when it meets again in January.
The meeting between Smith, Tolbert and Lucas came four days after former Det. Eric DeValkenaere was convicted of second-degree involuntary manslaughter in the 2019 shooting death of Cameron Lamb.
Many community leaders and civil rights organizations have long called for Smith to be removed, citing the fatal shootings of several Black men by Kansas City officers, a tenuous relationship with community which worsened last year during protests and an alarming number of homicides.
Under Smith's leadership, the department publicly took the position that if a police officer fired his or her weapon, it must be justified.
The police department has paid out more than $5.8 million in claims over the past fiscal year, blowing past what was budgeted. Settlements include use of force allegations, vehicular crashes involving officers and other legal matters.
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