As Kansas City, Mo. polilce as of today (Thursday) are all now equipped with body cameras, a coalition of local civil rights leaders led by the Urban Summit of KC are sticking to one of their earlier demands calling for the removal of K.C. police chief Rick Smith.
Civil Rights leaders will make a joint presentation detailing the case for the removal of Smith from his role asChief of the Kansas City Police Department during the Urban Summit convening via Zoom at 8:30 am, Friday, April 23, 2021.
The Urban Summit of KC, along with the Urban Council comprised of the NAACP, National Black United Front- KC Chapter, SCLC-GKC, the Urban League of Greater KC and the Summit, will focus on the issue of police brutality in Kansas City. The session is titled “The Case for the Dismissal of KCPD Chief Rick Smith.”
Theh coalition calling for Smith’s removal in a press release issued today (thursday) said, “The oversight of the KCPD Chief of Police is woefully inadequate and a failure.
The chief’s actions and policies work to protect officers who kill unarmed Black men and brutalize our women and
children. His leadership reinforces the system of racism and brutality in the KCPD which currently has multiple officers under indictment for alleged crimes against Black or Brown people.”
Among the major civil rights organizations in Kansas City demanding his resignation or dismissal. Among others doing so are MORE2, AdHoc Group Against Crime, Sankofa for KC, Heartland Presbyterian Church USA, Presbyterian Urban Immigrant Ministry Network, Black Rainbow, Operation Liberation, and Attorney Stacey Shaw.
The list includes the Editorial Board of the Kansas City Star.
Here is the information to Join the Cloud HD Video Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 869 0765 6536 Passcode: 477235