Senator Tony Luetkemeyer Presents KCPD Pay Bill to Address Officer Shortage

JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, presented legislation to the Judiciary Committee to attract and retain officers for the Kansas City Police Department. The legislation, Senate Bill 119, eliminates salary caps for KCPD officers currently written into state law.

Salaries ranges for officers of the Kansas City Police Department are set by state law. The current salary ranges contribute to recruitment and retention challenges that have caused persistent officer shortages at the KCPD, Sen. Luetkemeyer said. The KCPD currently has a roughly 300 officer shortfall.

“To protect the public and keep our streets safe, we must have the Kansas City Police Department operating at full strength. That won’t happen if the KCPD can’t offer wages sufficient to hire and retain officers,” Sen. Luetkemeyer said. “At a time when police face constant danger and the city struggles to put officers on the street, we should not tie the department’s hands with artificial and outdated salary caps.”

For more information about Sen. Luetkemeyer, visit senate.mo.gov/mem34.