KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the United States becomes more diverse, police departments across the country are having a hard time keeping up and looking like the communities they serve. That includes Kansas City, Missouri, where Leila Lawson is one of just five Black female police sergeants in the department (as of Sept. 30, 2020).
Five out of 248.
Lawson, a Kansas City, Missouri, native grew up near East 54th Street and Park Avenue.
“I’ll never forget. It was helicopters and sirens,” Lawson said of moments from her childhood, “And I looked out the window and they had a guy sprawled out in the middle and all these cop cars were around.
“They had a guy at gunpoint, and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ That’s why my grandmother doesn’t want me going up the street,” Lawson said.
Lawson agreed to talk with 41 Action News Anchor Kevin Holmes about crime, representation and trust — and what role the three play as Kansas City battled a record number of homicides in 2020.
41 Action News Anchor Kevin Holmes: Your perception of police growing up?
Sgt. Leila Lawson: I felt they were, um, OK. It wasn’t a negative one until I began to drive.
KH: What happened then?
LL: I got stopped by the police and they told me my tail light was out once, and I got out later and it wasn’t out.
KH: Was it a case of DWB (driving while Black)?
LL: I felt like it was. It kind of scarred me.
KH: Did that kind of break your trust in police?
LL: Absolutely, and the reason it broke my trust initially is because I didn’t know. I didn’t know if it was a color thing or was it they really had a legit reason to stop me.
It’s those types of encounters that pushed the NAACP to issue a travel advisory for Black people in the State of Missouri in 2017. That was the first time the national civil rights organization issued a travel advisory for an entire state.
KH: A lot of people say trust has eroded between the police and community. Would you agree with that?
LL: So, that’s a tough one, when you say, 'Trust has eroded,' because to me that means it’s gone, and I don’t feel like trust has completely left us. We’re going to have to begin new ways of policing. The mindset and things that go on, we have to realize that everything is not what it used to be. When someone runs from you, maybe in the movies they chase them down and beat them down. That’s a thing of the past, if that was going on.
KH: But why do we see that? Across the country oftentimes? Particularly people of color, too.
Lawson said a lot of that stems from fear of the unknown and both officers and civilians letting their biases get the best of them, which is why she supports community policing, something KCPD has tried to push in recent years.
LL: I always saw the police chasing somebody. I didn’t ever see them on a friendly level, or in the community doing anything. Now I see more community relations with law enforcement, and it could be because I’m a part of it.
KH: Does representation matter? Especially when we’re talking about a police force?
LL: Absolutely, representation matters. When you’re in the community and you can’t see yourself, it’s hard for you to truly know if someone can understand your position in life and what you’re going through.
Of the 1,899 people employed with KCPD, 163 are Black men, 152 are Black women — 8.6% and 8% of the department, respectively, as of Sept. 30, 2020. Kansas City, Missouri, is 30% African American.
KH: Would the job be easier if the police department – and not just this police department, but police departments across the country – if they looked more like the communities they police?
LL: Can’t really say that it would because it depends on the people. Even though it’s a noble profession that has health benefits, and you’re servicing your community, people don’t — it’s history — people don’t trust the police and that’s kind of been a thing where it’s hard to get the trust.
Building trust has been a challenge for police departments, which can make violent crime prevention difficult.
Kansas City, Missouri, saw unprecedented crime numbers in 2020, the deadliest year in terms of homicide in recorded history. According to the department, almost all homicides could have been prevented with better conflict resolution and better relationships.
LL: Everyone in this uniform doesn’t symbolize hatred and racism. Everyone in this uniform is not out to get you. There are a lot of men and women that wear this uniform who want to help everyone in the community they serve.
But just how good is that service to the community? Lawson said no matter the job, people should treat the customer as if they are a loved one.
LL: Customer service is terrible. It’s failing. And when I say it’s failing, what I mean is – is this the kind of service you would want to receive if you were on the receiving end of this service? We’re providing a service out here. If we had to do a survey like the end of customer service calls, what would our ranking, what would our rating be? Would we get the JD Power Award, or wouldn’t we?
KH: Let me ask you that. What would the ranking be for KCPD?
LL: I don’t know.
—
