KCPD members selected for security, documentation efforts at inauguration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department has been involved with several inaugurations in years past, but none with the amount of security present at Wednesday's ceremony for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Roughly 2,500 officers from police departments across the country were called on to help secure Inauguration Day - 48 of them from KCPD.

For the first time ever, embedded with them are four civilians public relations specialists, also from police departments across the country. Among them was Sarah Boyd, a personal information specialist with KCPD who was selected to attend by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Together, they are documenting the work and stories of KCPD's 48 officers and the thousands of others working the ceremonial day.

“It’s important to tell the stories of those officers because public perception of law enforcement has gotten so negative in the last year," Boyd said. "Some of that reform is needed, and we know that. So we wanted to really explain how officers from around the country are coming together to work toward a common purpose.”

Katie Nelson, PR specialist with Mountain View Police in California, said the officers were in D.C. "to honor what they do every day" – protect democracy.

"But at the same time they are also there because this is so much bigger than just us," Nelson said. "This is about all of us."

The push to tell these stories began more than a year ago after the Major Cities Chiefs Association approved a grant.

"The fact that it happened right after the events at the Capitol, I think really showed the importance of law enforcement," Boyd said, "and why it's necessary for our democracy to succeed."

Public Relations Specialist Rebecca Atkins was one of the four civilians who traveled to the Capitol to document the stories and work of law enforcement.

Together, the four of them are asking officers what they feel the current state of policing is, what reforms are happening and which are still needed, as well as how trust can be rebuilt in communities.

"I think it's important to share what they've been through, but also how they're understanding the communities that they help every day," Atkins said.
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