KCPD chief says settlements, overtime causing budget shortfall
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Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves in 2023. Photo: Emily Curiel/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said Thursday that her call for "drastic cost-reduction measures" was not due to mismanagement, but she owned a lack of communication in releasing a memo that caught city leaders off guard.
Why it matters: The internal memo, first reported by FOX4 on Sunday, caused alarm among council members and the mayor and sparked debate over police funding after the department's budget increased by 7.64% in 2025 from the previous fiscal year.
Driving the news: Graves told City Council on Thursday that legal settlements and overtime pay were the biggest ballooning costs.
- KCPD is cutting high overtime usage and freezing hiring until a new budget goes into effect in May.
Zoom in: Graves said police have paid $10.9 million in legal settlements so far for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, well over the $2.5 million allocated in the budget.
Case in point: Local advocates are asking KCPD to fire officer Blayne Newton, who was involved in a shooting that killed two and resulted in a $3.5 million settlement in November.
- And the wrongful conviction of Ricky Kidd, a case that dates back to 1996, was settled in May, spreading $14 million in payments over four years.
What they're saying: "This is actually a bigger year for lawsuits," she said, adding that they can't always predict legal timelines.
- As for overtime and Graves' memo: "I think it was strong language" that was "telling our folks 'we need to tighten it up'" by 25%, she said.
- Graves said cuts will not affect basic services.
The other side: The memo "blindsided us," Mayor Quinton Lucas told Graves on Thursday. "People wondered why the city was going broke."
- Lucas cited police budget officers who told City Council the settlement allocation was enough.
- Graves said she was open to further budget conversations with City Council but that asking employees to cut back on overtime at the end of the fiscal year is normal.
What's next: KCPD is asking for a roughly 18% budget increase for the next fiscal year. The current budget is $343 million.
- The city will adopt a budget by its fourth March meeting.
Go deeper: Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Thursday withdrew his nomination for the Kansas City Police Board of Commissioners and will seek another nominee to fill the empty seat.