Finalists for KC police chief discuss plans for department at forum disrupted by protesters

The three finalists for Kansas City police chief shared their views during a forum Saturday that included questions on crime reduction, the department’s relationship with the community and its internal culture.

The event was briefly disrupted by a group of protesters who expressed anger about the process for selecting a new chief, a lack of local control of the department and the fatal police shootings of Malcolm Johnson, Cameron Lamb, Donnie Sanders and Ryan Stokes.

Earlier this week, the Board of Police Commissioners announced the three candidates for police chief: KCPD’s Acting Deputy Chief Stacey Graves, the only internal and only female finalist; DeShawn Beaufort, a commander with the Philadelphia Police Department and Scott Ebner, a retired lieutenant colonel and deputy superintendent of administration for the New Jersey State Police.

The board will consider who among them will replace Interim Police Chief Joseph Mabin, who was appointed in April following the exit of Chief Rick Smith.

The next chief will inherit a department that is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and has faced widespread criticism for several assaults by officers against people of color. They will also take the helm at a time of high violent crime: 2022 is on track to become the second deadliest year on record with 166 homicides, including a fatal shooting early Saturday.

During the forum, held at the Robert J. Mohart Multipurpose Center, 3200 Wayne Avenue, the three candidates gave varying perspectives on how to improve community relations.

Graves said she would host quarterly town hall meetings.

“We need to build some bridges. We have got to get into the community and the community to get in with us and we are better together,” she said.

Ebner said community engagement and crime reduction go hand in hand.

“It’s going to start with me being engaged and open and honest,” he said.

Beaufort said the police department needs to have “an open ear to listen to what the community has to say.”

“I think our officers have to understand and empathize with the people that they are serving,” he said.

The board is expected to make a decision in the coming days.

Candidates take questions

The three candidates separately answered a series of questions submitted from residents.

On crime, Graves said she would take a collaborative approach that includes youth programs as well as involving city services to address issues like blighted properties.

“My vision for a crime reduction strategy is more of a citywide campaign if you will, where the police department and all our city entities, leaders, community, works together to solve this problem.”

A lack of conflict resolution, she added, is driving the number of homicides.

She also said she would not work for a racist organization.

“We have to create an environment within the department, internally, that is one of open communication, one where our employees feel valued and supported and feel included.”

“We’re going to have these conversations. There’s nothing that I’m scared to talk about.”

Graves said her goal as police chief would be to “embody the philosophy of community policing” and that “everyone goes home safe at the end of the night.”

Ebner said he spoke to officers at two patrol divisions on Friday to hear their concerns.

“They said they feel like don’t have time, they’re going from call to call, they don’t have time to engage the community the way the want to and I think that’s important because we need to address that.”

He called the police department’s homicide clearance rate, which is less than 50%, “unacceptable.” To address violent crime, he would engage in more information sharing, tools such as license plate readers and resources like the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.

In terms of racism within the department, Ebner said he spent nine years in internal affairs and he supports the idea that complaints be sent directly to the chief’s office.

He said as an external candidate, “I don’t have allegiance to anyone” and that as chief, he would meet with representatives with every neighborhood.

“I don’t work from behind a desk very much,” he said. “I like to be out and about.”

“You’re going to have a partner that’s willing to listen to you, work with you and problem solve together.”

Beaufort said he brings accountability and a focus on intelligence led policing.

“Are we going to make mistakes? Yes, we are. Is it going to be good all the time? No, it’s not. But that’s where as a leader I say, ‘Listen, we made a mistake. We didn’t do it the right way.’ But I can promise you those are the things where the accountability comes into play.”

He also said he is aware that the DOJ is investigating the police department amid allegations of racism in its hiring practices.

“If it’s perceived that means there is a problem,” he said. “So if you have something like that going on within the agency, it doesn’t mean that agency is bad. It means that some of its practices have to change. And as a leader you have to be able to recognize and say we have to fix it.”

If selected as chief, Beaufort said he would appoint a diversity, equity and inclusion person as a member of his executive staff. Doing so would help internal and external relations, he said.

Beaufort also said there are too many guns on the street and in the hands of young people. To fight violent crime, he said, he would work to make sure firearm charges stick and focus on policing the most violent offenders.

Community criticism

The selection process for the top job has been criticized by local leaders who say community voices have been ignored. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, along other groups called on the police board to bolster public engagement as the candidate list was narrowed down. The group recently said hosting just one forum meant residents on the west, south and north sides of Kansas City were left out.

During Saturday’s forum, several people from Decarcerate KC stood up to voice displeasure about the process as well as the department in general.

“We want justice. We want resources,” Amaia Cook told the crowd. “We don’t want another spineless police chief who’s going to cover up for murderous cops. So what we actually want to know is why does the BOPC use its power to manipulate the community into believing they have a voice in public opinion.”

Several others followed her. Some members of the audience appeared to support their views while others called on organizers to regain control of the forum.

Graves told the protesters that she hears them.

The group was led out of the auditorium by police.

“This process of selecting a police chief is entirely undemocratic and fixed,” Cook said in the parking lot. She added that this was the only forum and it was announced less than a week in advance.

Cook said some may complain that the forum was not the appropriate setting to express their views.

“When is that time and place? If it is not now, then when?” she said.

Darron Edwards, lead pastor at United Believers Community Church, said he thought Graves was “the clear choice.”

“I do believe that Graves handled herself well during a volatile moment at the only listening session to meet the finalists,” he said. “Graves was not afraid to engage and listen to voices who see policing through a different lens. She won my respect at that moment.”

Edwards went on to say that he thought Ebner was “a serial opportunist” who gave text book answers and “lacked connection.”

Steve Young, founder of Kansas City Law Enforcement Accountability Project, said he watched the meeting on YouTube and was disappointed that none of the finalists were asked about police accountability - an issue that was repeatedly mentioned at the community listening sessions sponsored by a coalition of business and community groups.

“I considered this a dog and pony show because it was all for show. We already know who’s going to be the chief of police. It’s going to be somebody who’s going to be the woman because she’s internal and she can keep that culture that Rick Smith spent years building up because they’re not ready to relinquish that power.”

As chair of the Maple Park Neighborhood Council, Jennie Walters said she was familiar with Graves during the time she was in charge of the Shoal Creek Patrol Division.

“When I read the reviews, I was not very favorable of the other two candidates. But hearing the interviews I’ve changed my mind and I really liked both (Ebner and Beaufort),” Walters said. “I wished the community had more opportunity to ask questions.”

“I’m concerned that the board of commissioners will not take in the community’s input as much as I would like.”

She agreed with Beaufort’s assessment in reducing crime.

“It’s not just the police department’s problem to solve these issues. It takes the community. It takes the schools, it takes the churches, it takes the neighborhoods and it takes families.”

Third District Councilwoman Melissa Robinson said she appreciates hiring processes with community input.

“I believe that the Board of Police Commissioners left a lot to desire as it relates to reaching out to the community,” Robinson said. “I contacted them several times to come and meet with community members in the Third District, and was told that they were doing their own process and they didn’t want to work collaboratively with my office. That was unfortunate.”

The three finalists

Graves is a native of Kansas City, Kansas, and joined KCPD in April 1997.

During her 25-year tenure with the department, Graves has been a patrol officer, a detective with the vice and narcotics unit and later was aide to former police chief Darryl Forté.

In 2001, Graves received a medal of valor after shooting a suspect who had lunged at another officer, took his gun and pointed it at her, according to news reports.

She was promoted to captain and made responsible for the department’s human resources unit. Later on, she became a supervisor in internal affairs and was in charge of the department’s media unit.

As a police major, Graves served as a division commander at the Shoal Creek Patrol Division in Kansas City, North, and recently coordinated the department’s program assigning social workers to each of the six patrol divisions throughout Kansas City.

While attending the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Graves earned a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice. Graves also earned an Executive Master of Business Administration from Benedictine College. She previously served on the board for the Rose Brooks Center, which helps victims of domestic abuse.

For the past several weeks, Graves has served as an interim deputy chief, overseeing the patrol bureau.

On Friday, KCPD Lodge 102 endorsed Graves to be the next police chief. In a statement, the group which comprises of police commanders cited Graves’s years of experience and long tenure with KCPD.

“Although she has an admirable history with KCPD, Major Graves will bring a fresh outlook and leadership style,” said Greg Williams, lodge president. “She has a proven record of prioritizing community involvement, transparency and accountability at all levels.

“She is respected by both department and community members and values diversity and customer service. She is approachable and even-tempered in the most difficult situations.”

Ebner had been considered for police chief’s posts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Honolulu, and Prescott Valley, Arizona.

He had worked for the New Jersey State Police for 27 years, beginning his tenure as a trooper and working his way up to lieutenant colonel. Prior to that, he worked for the Cape Coral Police Department in Florida.

In 1998, Ebner who was a state trooper, was accused of racial profiling after he pulled over a car suspected of erratic driving where a Black New York former county prosecutor was a passenger, according to The New York Times.

Patricia Hurt filed a complaint against Ebner claiming the stop was racially motivated. However, New Jersey State Police said several motorists called 911 and complained the sedan driven by Lescia Rosa, a Hispanic investigator in the prosecutor’s office, was driving erratically on a state highway, The Times reported then.

An internal affairs investigation later found the complaint “unsubstantiated and unfounded,” The Times later reported.

He is named in two ongoing discrimination lawsuits involving the New Jersey State Police.

Ebner retired from the agency in March.

He was most recently a finalist for the police chief’s job in Aurora, Colorado, where community groups including the NAACP branch voiced their opposition because they were left out of the selection process.

The city ended up reopening its selection efforts.

In November 2020, DeShawn Beaufort had ascended to a position within the ranks of the Philadelphia Police Department where he could make an immediate and significant impact, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in May 2021.

At the time, Beaufort was being considered for the promotion to chief inspector which would have made him the department’s third-highest ranking officer. In that assignment, he was tasked with investigating officers accused of crimes and misconduct.

The Inquirer reported that Beaufort had long championed police accountability and sought ways to foster better relations with residents. He began his tenure with the police department in 1996.

During the probationary period following his promotion, Beaufort found himself the subject of an internal affairs investigation following a road rage incident.

Beaufort had pulled into the parking lot of CVS when a motorist nearly struck him, then made an obscene gesture and threatened Beaufort, according to The Inquirer.

Details of the internal review were not released. But it resulted in Beaufort’s promotion being denied and he was transferred to another unit, the newspaper reported.

He was among eight candidates who were vying for the police chief’s job in Miami, The Miami Times reported in October 2021.

That job went to Manny Morales earlier this year.