Detectives Excited About Makeover at KCPD

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s been more than 75 years since KCPD headquarters had a good scrubbing. Finally, the work is underway. The police department’s flagship building is getting a $28 million makeover.

FOX 4 took a tour of the second floor at the Kansas City Police Department’s main building at 11th & Locust on Tuesday. The detectives work in pretty close quarters.

“It’s very difficult to communicate with the victims and the witnesses and  to try to talk people through these difficult times they’re going through as they follow their cases,” said Maj. Sharon Laninghan with KCPD.

It’s hard enough for detectives to get victims and witnesses to come forward and a crowded room that’s hard to hear in can easily scare them off.

“Some privacy desk space and that will improve communications greatly for everybody involved,” Langinghan said.

It will also help with those who do want to help with police investigations. A trip to police headquarters will soon be more confidential.

“We’ll have private rooms for the victims and witnesses where they won’t have exposure to anyone they shouldn’t be seeing and shouldn’t be exposed to,” she said.

Exposed wiring and pipes will be hidden. New private and secure areas will be added and outdated heating and a/c systems will be replaced. Commanders hope these and other changes will translate into positive attitudes they’ve seen after other renovations.

“We’ve seen the morale raised when we opened up the metro patrol division station, people just stood taller and came to work happier and it continues for years to come,” she said.

The public safety sales tax that was extended by voters in 2010 will help cover the cost of the renovations. The project will take about two years to complete.