A “Back the Blue” rally will call for the resignation of Trump-bashing Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) on Wednesday.
The “Back the Blue” protesters, based in Washington, D.C., will hold a rally at 6:00 p.m. at the Hodge Park Amphitheater in Kansas City, Missouri, to show their support for the Kansas City Police Department, as well as demand a recall of Mayor Lucas, according to a report by KMBC News 9.
The group’s recall effort comes from what it calls recent “defunding efforts made by the city council.”
Mayor Lucas, however, claims that the money hasn’t been taken from the police department, but instead it would go into a separate fund controlled by both the board of police commissioners and the city manager — money that the police would still ultimately be spending.
Meanwhile, several local civil rights groups are renewing their call for the removal of Kansas City Police Chief (KCPD) Rick Smith, the report adds.
Chief Smith argues that the police department was not consulted about the new proposals.
“I am disheartened Mayor Lucas and the other sponsoring council members did not reach out to the Police Department prior to today’s press conference to notify us of such a policy shift,” Chief Smith said last month, according to a report by Fox 4 Kansas City.
“As a member of the Board of Police Commissioners, the Mayor meets monthly with other Board members, Department members and the public,” Smith continued. “At these meetings, we discuss performance and statistics from each bureau, including crime, budgets, policy and other matters.”
“The Mayor and the other sponsoring council members have not previously mentioned this proposal, so our discussions about it are just beginning,” the police chief added.
The state-run board of police commissioners is suing Mayor Lucas, as well as the city council, after two ordinances passed last month. The ordinances have reportedly shifted $42 million from the police department’s budget for community services and crime prevention.
On Tuesday, Jackson County Judge Kevin Harrell issued a stay order on the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners’ lawsuit against Mayor Lucas and city council, reports KMBC News 9.
Judge Harrell’s order reportedly gives the city 14 days to answer the police department’s call to block the budget ordinance.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.