Kansas City police chief proposes new location amid concerns over $16 million temporary jail

At the end of September, the Kansas City Council green light of $16 million to fund a temporary jail in the downtown police station.

But according to a recent letter that Police Chief Stacey Graves sent to Mayor Quinton Lucas, City Manager Brian Platt, city council members and members of the Board of Police Commissioners, that plan is not as solid — or set in stone — as officials have made it out to be. it seems.

The legislation passed quickly and was the body’s response to months of public backlash outrage over waves of property crimes and continued gun violence.

The plan suggests The 8th floor of the KCPD will be converted into a detention center and central booking and waiting facility. Construction will begin early next year, with the doors opening in 2026. The 24-hour facility would accommodate 144 people, including 55 overnight beds. As KCPD Maj. Josh Heinen told council members in September, the department needs a larger-capacity short-term storage facility to achieve “initial impact on arrests.”

But the letter obtained by KCUR lists several potential challenges identified by SFS Architecture, a local firm, in their final research summary of the project. Graves is asking officials to consider another plan.

“In reviewing the completed project summary, I am concerned that the project location, setbacks and costs will push the project completion date well into the future,” Graves said in the Oct. 28 letter. “I believe this community, city and police department should consider alternative locations for this project to address these challenges.”

A spokesperson for Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city respects the voice of KCPD command staff, “but decisions regarding the placement of detention centers rest solely with the City Council.”

“The City Council has chosen to hold and release the inmates at the police headquarters building, where it remained for 77 years until 2015,” spokesperson Jazzlyn Johnson said in an emailed statement.

Councilman Johnathan Duncan, who represents the 6th District, said the letter leaves him with more questions about the process.

“I think the City Council should be more aware if we’re going to spend this kind of money without a lot of information,” said Duncan, who was the lone vote against the proposal for an eighth-floor jail. “It seems unwise to rush to spend $16 million. It doesn’t really seem like we’re being good stewards of the precious tax dollars we have.”

Questions about the timeline

City staff expected an expected construction start date of late 2025. Construction would take 16 months.

During committee discussions, Lucas and 3rd District Council member Melissa Robinson asked if the facility could be completed sooner, which also received support from 5th District Council member Darrell Curls.

“Is there any circumstance where we could get this done in half the timeline you gave?” Robinson asked city staff.

The city employee said, “I think so,” and said the city could select a contractor who can complete the project quickly.

In Graves’ letter, she said the facility under the current plan would not be completed before Kansas City hosts FIFA World Cup matches in the summer of 2026. There was no public discussion in the council about completing the facility by that time.

Council members were told construction could cost more than $18 million, $2 million more than the city allocated.

Additionally, contractors would need to reinforce a raised floor to support the weight of the structure. The investigation also showed that there is no space to install the construction equipment and materials.

The 7th floor of KCPD headquarters is currently occupied, so construction would have to be done in phases and personnel would have to be relocated. The plan would also require basement space, forcing KCPD to move files and equipment stored there. The temporary holding and booking facility also requires more staff, and it is unclear how much it will cost to operate.

City staff addressed these challenges at a committee meeting, but council members gave the project the green light anyway.

An alternative solution

In the letter, Graves recommends that the city build a temporary jail at the old East Patrol Division station at 5301 East 27th St. That station closed in 2015. The current East Patrol station is located at the corner of 27th Street and Prospect Avenue.

Graves said the old East Patrol station is located on city property partially shared with the KCPD Fleet Operations Unit. She said the location, after consultation with SFS Architecture, “will address concerns regarding the location of the police station.”

But Johnson, a spokeswoman for Lucas, said the former station is in the heart of a residential area, near single-family homes, a 7-Eleven and a liquor store.

“Releasing prisoners into a neighborhood where there are no services nearby could be damaging to all parties,” she said.

Graves wrote that the old East Patrol station has the potential to house more people and provide more space for offices and interrogation rooms for detectives. Because the building is vacant, Graves said demolition can begin immediately without moving personnel or materials.

That would shorten construction time by six months so the facility could be open by the 2026 World Cup, she said in her letter.

The letter also estimates lower construction costs due to location and building construction.

“The need for a comprehensive short-term storage facility is clearly a priority for the department, the city and this community,” Graves said in the letter. “I believe that moving the police station location to the Old East Patrol Division station gives us the best opportunity for the most efficient and cost-effective option.”

The $16 million to build the facility will come from the city’s public safety tax fund and general debt and interest fund.

It’s unclear whether the City Council will have to pass a new ordinance if it decides to build the storage facility on the site of the old East Patrol station.