A row of police line up in the middle of the street on the Country Club Plaza, flanked by demonstrators on the left and right.

Police stand in line during Black Lives Matter demonstrations near the Country Club Plaza in 2020. (Cody Boston | Flatlalnd)

curiousKC | Inform Our Next Episode on Police in KC

January 24, 2022 | Vicky Diaz-Camacho | 2 min read

Tensions between the general public and police have become increasingly pronounced. In the past several years, particularly during nationwide demonstrations, people have tried to reexamine the police’s role in the community.

These issues have been covered by our journalists for the past two years. In Flatland’s series “Stopped: Profiling the Police,” our team of reporters and producers sought to turn data into dialogue. Using 20 years’ worth of stop data and a report on racial profiling, the team investigated what this looks like on Kansas City’s streets, highways and byways. What did the data say?

The answer to that question was illuminating, but just the tip of the iceberg. The breadth of our coverage since then has spanned from new approaches to policing to department staffing issues. Now we’ll turn our focus to what the community wants to see in its police department.

Please send your queries to us. The episode of Flatland on Kansas City PBS will use questions and tips you submit to us, elevating the community’s voice and concerns.

Feel free to send tips and suggestions directly to Mary Sanchez at msanchez@kansascitypbs.org or Tweet @msanchezcolumn and Cami Koons, ckoons@kansascitypbs.org or Tweet @koons_cami.

curiousKC is a journalism engagement initiative that aims to connect the community with journalists to tell stories that matter to them.

Vicky Diaz-Camacho covers community affairs for Kansas City PBS.