From the Chairman

Dear Friends,

The Police Foundation of Kansas City, Missouri, was formed by citizens in 2010 to reduce crime in our community. The Foundation does so by generating funds for Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCPD) initiatives not fully supported by existing public funding.

The factors that contribute to violent crime in our cities were further exposed by the pandemic that began in 2020. Kansas City was no exception. Yet, thanks to the partnership between the Police Foundation and KCPD, we moved forward in our commitment to leveraging technology to enhance public safety.

Community support for KCPD was evident in 2020 as board member Ed Elder and community leader Jeanette Prenger led the Foundation’s first-ever community partnership campaign, “Investing in a Safer Kansas City.” Nearly 200 sponsors invested through the Police Foundation to support technology to help our KCPDwork on solutions to violent crime, getting our city off the FBI’s list of 10 Most Violent Cities and making our neighborhoods and workplaces safer for all our citizens.

In addition to the community-partnership campaign, more than $3 million was donated by generous foundations, businesses, and individuals to purchase body-worn cameras for the KCPD. Public funds have not been available for body-worn cameras despite strong support by citizens and KCPD for their use. Thanks to a lead gift by the DeBruce Foundation, donors in our community, in a strong show of public/private partnership, filled a major need.

The Foundation’s funding of cameras, license plate readers, gun-shot detection systems and other technology is helping KCPD solve crimes at a rate greater than it has in a long time. I invite you to read more about department’s significant progress in this area in our first newsletter, A Call For Service.

We have the highest expectations of our Police Department, a job that takes a physical and emotional toll on each officer and her/his family. Community support of the Police Foundation of Kansas City is a visible way to thank every officer serving us and for making our safety a priority. The Foundation’s vision is to make Kansas City one of the safest cities in America. I am grateful to our donors who share in this vision.