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Getting to know new KCPD Police Chief Rick Smith

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City residents are getting a better idea of new KCPD Police Chief Rick Smith’s priorities for the department and city after he met with some of them Friday.

He addressed the issues most important to him at a meeting with people from south Kansas City. Smith said he wants to help officers be successful, reduce crime and make the department more efficient through working partnerships.

Smith has served the KCPD department for about 30 years, with time in both the robbery and homicide units.

He is taking the reigns as chief during what has already been a violent year. There have been 105 homicides in KCMO so far this year. In 2016 – the most violent year since 2008 – that number was just 81 by this point in the year.

Smith said this is disheartening, but he has a plan for how to cut down on crime.

"One of the avenues I see are cutting down on gun violence crimes. What the police can do is look forensically at guns and follow up on gun crimes," Smith said. "We might have some impact there."

Smith said he wants more officers in the streets to stop crime before it happens. That may happen through more staffing or adding a social worker in the evenings.

"If someone is creating a lot of calls for police, that's taking police time that could be solved with a social worker. That would allow more police on the street for serious crimes," Scott Taylor, a city council member, said.

Smith is also interested in making a career in the police department more accessible to a wider group of people. He said they will employee new recruiting strategies.

"In 29 years, we really haven't changed much of it. We want to do different things, get involved with university and colleges and sports teams," Smith said.

Smith said if they recruit through these avenues and face-to-face, they make it a different, or at least bigger, pool of applicants that could include more women and minorities.  

Smith also wants officers to serve as ambassadors, which means they respond to serious situations, but also take time to do simple things such as giving directions.