ORDINANCE NO. 260076
title
Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas
Creating a new department to be known as the Department of Justice and Community Intervention by amending Article V, Departments, in Chapter 2, Administration, of the Code of Ordinances by enacting a new Division 25 entitled “Justice and Community Intervention” to include new sections 2-720.1 through 2-720.6; and amending Chapter 2, Article VIII, Classification and Compensation Plan, by repealing Section 2-1079 and enacting one new section of like number and subject matter to create three new job classifications for this Department.
body
WHEREAS, Section 401 of the City Charter specifies that the City Council will provide for departments or offices for the effective and efficient operation of City government; and
WHEREAS, the City provides numerous vital services to promote the safety, health, and wellbeing of its residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, in addition to policing, prosecution, and rehabilitation, the City seeks to promote and prioritize crime intervention, prevention and correction methods to best serve residents, which includes mitigating known risk factors; and
WHEREAS, Kansas City's public safety efforts have historically operated across multiple departments without unified structure, limiting coordination, accountability, and consistent implementation of community safety; and
WHEREAS, establishing the Department of Justice and Community Intervention institutionalizes this collaborative work and will serve as a central hub connecting public safety agencies, corrections, community organizations, and residents to ensure unified and collaborative safety efforts; and
WHEREAS, the establishment of the Department of Justice and Community Intervention is designed to address matters of custody, prevention and non-criminal safety and will not be tasked with any criminal investigations or enforcement under the purview of the police department; and
WHEREAS, centralized data management, tracking, and evaluation of public safety interventions enables data-driven decision-making and measurable accountability across the public safety ecosystem; and
WHEREAS, the City is building a new detention facility, requiring oversight and strategy for custody operations; and
WHEREAS, positioning corrections operations within a broader framework that includes reentry services, violence prevention, and other services support pathways for intervention, accountability, and sustained positive outcomes; and
WHEREAS, a comprehensive approach to community safety reduces duplication of services, improves resource efficiency, and enhances the effectiveness of public safety interventions citywide; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That Article V, Departments, in Chapter 2, Administration, of the Code of Ordinances, is hereby amended by adding a new Division 25, and enacting therein new sections 2-720.1 through 2-720.6 to read as follows:
DIVISION 25. JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY INTERVENTION.
Sec. 2-720.1. Establishment.
Pursuant to the provisions of section 401 of the Charter, there is hereby established a department to be known as the Department of Justice and Community Intervention. The officer in charge of such department shall be known as the director of the department of Justice and Community Intervention, who shall be appointed by the City Manager, and shall have such duties, powers and authorities as are prescribed in this division, or as may hereafter be prescribed by the city manager in accordance with section 2-141, Code of Ordinances.
Sec.2-720.2. Duties of director; Areas.
The work and responsibilities of the department shall be under the control and supervision of the director of Justice and Community Intervention who shall supervise the various divisions of the department in the performance of their functions, coordinate their activities, and when so instructed by the City Manager, shall render such other related services as may from be requested by the City Manager or authorized by the City Council. The Department of Justice and Community Intervention shall be tasked with the following areas:
(1) Reentry and Support Services: employment, housing outreach, legal aid, victim services, and resource assistance for returning citizens and victims;
(2) Corrections and Rehabilitation Operations: corrections and rehabilitation management and oversight;
(3) Violence Prevention and Intervention: hospital-based response, alternative response, co-response, violence interruption, restorative justice, and mediation; and
(4) Multidisciplinary Public Safety Taskforce: institutionalize the existing Multidisciplinary Public Safety Taskforce with improved data tracking and management of reports; and
(5) Other duties related to public safety, justice or intervention as assigned by the City Manager.
Sec. 2-720.3. Functions.
The department shall generally be responsible for coordinating, aligning, and executing the City's public safety and accountability strategies. The department shall provide leadership and infrastructure to unite public safety efforts across departments, ensuring consistent implementation, measurable outcomes, and community-centered interventions. The department’s functions shall include overseeing and implementing the following:
(1) Strengthening the Multi-Disciplinary Public Safety Task Force, pursuant to Ordinance No. 230573, to ensure long-term sustainability;
(2) Producing centralized data, tracking, and reporting for public safety engagement;
(3) Centralizing implementation and enforcement coordination authority to ensure follow-up responsibility on properties associated with repeated public safety concerns;
(4) Establishing a central record for internal and external reentry services;
(5) Consolidating existing internal prevention and violence intervention programs under unified direction;
(6) Collaborating with the Kansas City Police Department, Municipal Prosecutor, and Municipal Court to create pathways for pre-arrest and pre-plea interventions and mediation services;
(7) Providing oversight, direction, and implementation for custody conditions and operations;
(8) Ensuring coordination between detention functions and reentry and accountability services; and
(9) Transporting or designating an authorized agent to transport inmates to and from a correctional facility as designated by the City Manager or the Manager’s designee pursuant to an inmate housing agreement; and
(10) Providing for the safe, secure and humane custody of individuals in accordance with applicable laws, standards and constitutional requirements; and
(11) Delivering and coordinating programs and services that support rehabilitation, reduce recidivism and promote successful reentry into the community: and
(12) Ensuring access to necessary medical, mental health and behavioral health care for individuals in custody; and
(13) Establishing and enforcing professional standards, training requirements, and accountability systems to ensure ethical conduct; and
(14) Other public safety, justice, and prevention or intervention duties as determined by the City Manager.
Sec. 2-720.4. Personnel.
The director of the department of Justice and Community Intervention shall appoint such subordinates and clerical employees as determined by the City Manager to carry out the duties and functions of the department as established by ordinance, for whom appropriation of funds may be made by the City Council.
end
______________________________________________________
Approved as to form:
______________________________
Alan Holtkamp
Senior Associate City Attorney