Three residents filed suit against the state of Missouri this week to end state control of the Kansas City Police Department.
Under the current system of state control, a governor-appointed police board has complete authority to make decisions about KCPD policy, the hiring of the police chief and how the budget is spent.
Spencer Webster, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, argues in the lawsuit filed Monday that the system violates both the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act because it was intended to discriminate against Black Missourians and preserve the institution of slavery.
