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[COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR]ORDINANCE NO. 260076

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Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

Creating a new department to be known as the Department of Community Safety by amending Article V, Departments, in Chapter 2, Administration, of the Code of Ordinances by enacting a new Division 25 entitled “Community Safety” to include new sections  2-720.1 through 2-720.6; and amending Chapter 2, Article VIII, Classification and Compensation Plan, by repealing Section 2-1079 and enacting one new section of like number and subject matter to create one new job classification and adjust the salaries for two classifications for this Department; and amending Chapter 44, Corrections, by repealing Section 44-11, Authority of Clerk of the Municipal Division Courts to Establish Prisoner Assistance Programs.

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WHEREAS, Section 401 of the City Charter specifies that the City Council will provide for departments or offices for the effective and efficient operation of City government; and

WHEREAS, the City provides numerous vital services to promote the safety, health, and wellbeing of its residents and visitors; and

WHEREAS, in addition to policing, prosecution, and rehabilitation, the City seeks to promote and prioritize crime intervention, prevention and correction methods to best serve residents, which includes mitigating known risk factors; and

WHEREAS, Kansas City's public safety efforts have historically operated across multiple departments without unified structure, limiting coordination, accountability, and consistent implementation of community safety; and

WHEREAS, establishing the Department of Community Safety institutionalizes this collaborative work and will serve as a central hub connecting public safety agencies, corrections, community organizations, and residents to ensure unified and collaborative safety efforts; and

WHEREAS,  the establishment of the Department of Community Safety is designed to address matters of custody, prevention and intervention, and non-criminal safety; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Community Safety is not responsible for the duties and responsibilities provided the Kansas City Police Department pursuant to Chapter 84, RSMo, such as patrol, arrests, criminal investigations, enforcement, or emergency response.

WHEREAS, centralized data management, tracking, and evaluation of public safety interventions enables data-driven decision-making and measurable accountability across the public safety ecosystem; and

WHEREAS, the City is building a new detention facility, requiring oversight and strategy for custody operations; and

WHEREAS, positioning corrections operations within a broader framework that includes reentry services, restorative justice, and other services supports pathways for intervention, accountability, and sustained positive outcomes; and

WHEREAS, a comprehensive approach to community safety reduces duplication of services, improves resource efficiency, and enhances the effectiveness of public safety interventions citywide; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

Section 1. That Article V, Departments, in Chapter 2, Administration, of the Code of Ordinances, is hereby amended by adding a new Division 25, and enacting therein new sections 2-720.1 through 2-720.6 to read as follows:

DIVISION 25. COMMUNITY SAFETY.

Sec. 2-720.1. Establishment.

Pursuant to the provisions of section 401 of the Charter, there is hereby established a department to be known as the Department of Community Safety. The officer in charge of such department shall be known as the director of the department of Community Safety, who shall be appointed by the City Manager, and shall have such duties, powers and authorities as are prescribed in this division, or as may hereafter be prescribed by the city manager in accordance with section 2-141, Code of Ordinances.

Sec.2-720.2. Duties of director; Areas.

The work and responsibilities of the department shall be under the control and supervision of the director of Community Safety who shall supervise the various divisions of the department in the performance of their functions, coordinate their activities, and when so instructed by the City Manager, shall render such other related services as may from be requested by the City Manager or authorized by the City Council. The Department of Community Safety shall be tasked with the following areas:

(1)                     Reentry and Support Services: employment, housing outreach, legal aid, victim services, and resource assistance for returning citizens and victims;

(2)                     Corrections and Rehabilitation Operations: corrections and rehabilitation  management and oversight;

(3)                     Multidisciplinary Public Safety Taskforce: institutionalize the existing Multidisciplinary Public Safety Taskforce with improved data tracking and management of reports; and

(4)                     Other duties related to public safety, justice or intervention as assigned by the City Manager.

Sec. 2-720.3. Functions.

(a)                     The department shall generally be responsible for coordinating, aligning, and executing the City's public safety and accountability strategies. The department shall provide leadership and infrastructure to unite public safety efforts across departments, ensuring consistent implementation, measurable outcomes, and community-centered interventions.  The department’s functions shall include overseeing and implementing the following:

(1)                     Strengthening the Multi-Disciplinary Public Safety Task Force, pursuant to Ordinance No. 230573, to ensure long-term sustainability;

(2)                     Producing centralized data, tracking, and reporting for public safety engagement;

(3)                     Centralizing implementation and enforcement coordination authority to ensure  follow-up responsibility on properties associated with repeated public safety concerns;

(4)                     Establishing a central record for internal and external reentry services;

(5)                     Collaborating with the Kansas City Police Department, Municipal Prosecutor, and Municipal Court to create pathways for pre-arrest and pre-plea interventions and mediation services;

(6)                     Providing oversight, direction, and implementation for custody conditions and operations;

(7)                     Ensuring coordination between detention functions and reentry and accountability services; and

(8)                     Transporting or designating an authorized agent to transport inmates to and from a correctional facility as designated by the City Manager or the Manager’s designee pursuant to an inmate housing agreement; and

(9)                     Providing for the safe, secure and humane custody of individuals in accordance with applicable laws, standards and constitutional requirements; and

(10)                     Delivering and coordinating programs and services that support rehabilitation, reduce recidivism and promote successful reentry into the community: and

(11)                     Ensuring access to necessary medical, mental health and behavioral health care for individuals in custody; and

(12)                     Establishing and enforcing professional standards, training requirements, and accountability systems to ensure ethical conduct; and

(13)                     Establishing a function to process, apply, and secure grant funding in collaboration with the office of the city manager; and

(14)                     Other public safety, justice, and prevention or intervention duties as determined by the City Manager.

(b)                     Nothing in this section shall be construed to transfer, diminish, or replace the law enforcement responsibilities of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department as set forth in Chapter 84, RSMo.

Sec. 2-720.4. Personnel.

The director of the department of Community Safety shall appoint such subordinates and clerical employees as determined by the City Manager to carry out the duties and functions of the department as established by ordinance, for whom appropriation of funds may be made by the City Council.

As an initial step to align all departments on the City’s public safety priorities, including restorative justice, the City Manager shall convene a Joint Advisory Committee consisting of the City Manager or his designee; the Mayor or his designee; a councilmember designated by the Mayor; an employee from each of the following departments or offices: Community Safety, Multidisciplinary Public Safety Task Force; Health, Neighborhood Services, Finance, Municipal Court, City Prosecutor’s Office, and Fire. The Joint Advisory Committee shall also request an employee representative from within the City police department and recommended by the chief of police. The Joint Advisory Committee shall convene quarterly to review efforts to align and coordinate safety efforts across departments, assess progress toward the City’s public safety and restorative justice initiatives, and promote a unified and collaborative approach to public safety consistent with city policies.

Sec.2-720.5. Oversight.

The City Auditor shall have responsibility for self-directed audits and requests issued by Council, ensuring cross-departmental consistency in community accountability efforts.

Sec.2-720.6. Community Engagement.

Community engagement and outreach to existing external public safety partners shall be an integrated component of the department.

Section 2. That the Director of Community Safety is designated as requisitioning authority for all the accounts in the Department of Community Safety.

Section 3. That Chapter 2, Code of Ordinances, Administration, relating to the Classification and Compensation Plan, is hereby amended by repealing section 2-1079 and enacting in lieu thereof one new section of like number and subject matter, to read as follows.

Sec. 2-1079.  Salary schedules for occupational group classified as health, welfare, and

          recreation, with class code, class title, and pay grade therein.

The following schedules are hereby adopted as the salary schedules for the following classes of positions as set out below by class code number, class title, and pay grade therein:

(1)                     For those classes of positions within the managerial, professional, supervisory, and/or confidential group:

(2)                     For those classes of positions covered by the provisions of the memorandum of understanding between the city and Local 500-American Federation of State, Countys and Municipal Employees.

Section 4.  That Chapter 44, Corrections, is hereby amended by repealing section 44-11, Authority of Clerk of the Municipal Division Courts to Establish Prisoner Assistance Programs.

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Approved as to form:

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                                                                                                                              Alan Holtkamp

                                                                                                                              Senior Associate City Attorney