KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter La’Nita Brooks covers stories in Kansas City, Missouri, and stories offering solutions on crime. Share your story idea with La’Nita.
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When a family is experiencing a mental health crisis, a small gesture of comfort can make a lasting difference.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department is partnering with the Shadow Buddies Foundation to give children and families a new source of comfort during difficult moments — a plush toy named Rye the K9 Crisis Dog.
The toy, unveiled Wednesday, is modeled after Rye, the department’s K9 crisis dog, who works alongside KCKPD’s Crisis Intervention Team.
Standing just over 7 inches tall, the German pointer plush wears a black scarf featuring the department’s badge. Officials hope the toy will help children feel less frightened and alone when officers respond to a crisis.
“We hope that with being able to hand out the Shadow Buddy Rye, it will make a lasting impression on a child or family in crisis,” said Officer Phillip Mathis, who leads KCKPD’s Crisis Intervention Team.
The partnership comes as law enforcement officers continue to respond to calls involving mental health challenges, substance use and other situations that require specialized care.
“There’s no shortage of calls for us,” Mathis said. “We’re one of the smallest counties in the state of Kansas with the highest call volumes and one of the highest call volumes into the 988 call center.”
In 2025, KCKPD’s Crisis Intervention Team responded to 431 dispatched calls for service. The team made contact with 1,008 adults and 88 juveniles.
The team includes a full-time sworn officer and two full-time licensed social workers who serve as co-responders. They work with community mental health partners to de-escalate situations, connect people with treatment and resources, and help individuals experiencing mental health crises, substance use challenges or developmental disabilities.
The department also incorporates Crisis Intervention Team principles into its officer training, with every academy graduate receiving 26 hours of foundational CIT training.
The new plush toy is intended to complement that work, giving children something familiar to hold onto when a situation around them feels overwhelming.
For Mayra Romero-Ferman, the department's crisis intervention work is personal.
After the death of her daughter, Romero-Ferman said she struggled with her mental health, and her challenges eventually led to substance use disorder.
Her father contacted KCKPD’s Crisis Intervention Team, connecting her with Mathis, who helped her get into treatment.
Romero-Ferman said the support helped her reach a milestone in her recovery.
“He was able to take me to treatment, and I celebrated two years, two months, and two days today of sobriety,” she said.
She said the team’s intervention came during a period when she was struggling to find a reason to keep going.
“If it wasn’t for the KCKPD Crisis Intervention Team, I wouldn’t be here,” Romero-Ferman said. “I was suicidal. I had no reason to even get up every single day.”
Her experience highlights the role crisis intervention can play in connecting people with help when they need it most.
KCKPD officials said Rye, the department’s real-life K9 crisis dog, can help change the atmosphere when he enters a room. Rather than asking questions or making judgments, he offers comfort and companionship.
The Shadow Buddy version is designed to bring some of that reassurance to children who may be confused or frightened when police respond to a family crisis.
The toy also reinforces the message that officers are there to help and that children do not have to navigate difficult situations alone.
The Shadow Buddies Foundation is a children's charity that supports children with serious illnesses and disabilities through specially designed dolls intended to foster companionship, compassion and understanding.
Its collection includes 40 condition-specific Shadow Buddy dolls crafted to help children feel represented and less alone.
Through the partnership, KCKPD and the foundation hope Rye will become another tool for helping families feel supported during some of life's most difficult moments.
Violence prevention efforts continue across the state line
While KCKPD is focusing on crisis intervention and support for families, another organization across the state line is working to prevent violence before it happens.
KC Common Good recently announced Missouri State Sen. Barbara Washington, D-District 9, as its new CEO.
Washington said she wants to expand the organization's reach among young people while continuing to address public safety, housing and the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals.
“I want to increase our footprint with our youth,” Washington said.
She also emphasized the importance of community partnerships in helping law enforcement and prosecutors improve public safety.
“My main thing is to be a bigger voice and a bigger presence, so that when you think of who's going to help the police and the prosecutors make our community more safe, the first thing that comes to mind is KC Common Good,” Washington said.
Together, the efforts reflect different approaches to addressing community safety, from preventing violence among young people to responding with compassion when individuals and families experience a crisis.
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