KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department announced Karl Oakman as its new police chief on Friday.
He comes from the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department where he served for 29 years and was most recently deputy chief.
Kansas City, Kansas, officials cited Oakman's dedication to the community and his efforts to work on outreach projects with KCPD as reasons for his hire.
"Make sure you take your time to mentor our young people," Oakman said at the announcement.
He said he grew up in the projects of the Argentine neighborhood and is here today because of the adults in his life. Both of his parents died when he was young and he credited the community for giving him the resources to be who he is today.
Oakman said he is excited to give back to the community that raised him.
He will officially begin his tenure as chief in June.
"I would like to thank the entire Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department for trusting me to guide them into the future," Oakman said.
He outlined three goals:
- Strengthen relationships with all members of the community
- Continue to develop a diverse professional workforce
- Improve efficiency through the use of technology and resource allocation
Oakman talked about building both internal and external trust.
He said he wants to make sure every member of the department feels valued and feels free to share ideas.
Oakman also talked about working on de-escalation tactics and flexibility while still having solid training for officers, citing current tensions between police departments and communities around the country.
"Why are we still hiring and policing like it's the 1970s?" he asked while discussing his strategic plan.
Oakman also brought up the idea of creating a Spanish-language liaison position in the department and holding a Spanish-language community police academy.
This hire received great reviews from those in the community.
"He presented himself as just a person that is interested in making changes," KCK resident Carolyn Wyatt said.
"He knows a great deal about this city, he’s a man of color and so I think it’s going to be powerful for the community," Randy George, Executive Co-founder of the Village Initiative said.
George said the nonprofit works with police often, as they help those incarcerated return back to normal life.
"I think collaboratively working together to build those relationships, finding jobs, finding housing getting counseling is going to pay great dividends," he said.
"I think Karl Oakman stood out amongst all the applicants as someone who both had an understanding and also a real passion for community members," Rachel Jefferson, who was part of the group who helped select the new police chief said.
She believes having a Black chief is major for this community.
"Its vitally important that people feel represented right in their police department and I think that’s another reason why Chief Oakman was a good selection being a person of color," Jefferson said. "I think that is something (important) being culturally relevant to the people of this community which is such a diverse community, (that) is a good first step."
Deputy Police Chief Michael York has served as Interim Police Chief since August of 2019 following the retirement of Chief Terry Zeigler.
City officials thanked Interim Chief York for his service for the last year and a half in the position.
The city worked through four "strong" candidates to choose the next chief.
