SKCA July 2024 Meeting

Please come to the South Kansas City Alliance public meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, July 8, in the rear building of the South Patrol Police Campus, 9701 Marion Park Dr., and hear directly from leaders of all three of the school districts that serve the vast majority of south Kansas City and Grandview about their districts’ progress and plans for the upcoming school year.

Our confirmed speakers include Dr. Yolanda Cargile, superintendent of the Center School District; Dr. Prissy LeMay, assistant superintendent of curriculum & instruction for the Grandview School District; and Casey Klapmeyer, deputy superintendent of the Hickman Mills School District.

We plan to invite the superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools to speak at a later SKCA event when that district has solidified its plans for a major bond issue for much needed capital improvements to its aging schools. Voters in that district have not passed a bond issue to modernize its schools since 1967.

Kiona Sinks, director of marketing & community engagement for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will talk about the Museum’s annual Heart of America Hot Dog Festival on August 3 and its fabulous lineup of entertainment as well as the Museum’s new exhibit with free admission about the world champion Kansas City Monarchs baseball team.

Also speaking will be Sherrie Smith, president of the KCMO Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association, who will explain the functions of the Academy that was started in 1998 to educate persons 18 and over who pass background checks and live, work or attend school in KCMO about all the duties of the KCPD and how they can work with the department to help keep their families and communities safer.

The Citizen Academy offers two free 11-week training programs annually which include presentations by officers involved in various types of police work, field trips to department facilities and a one-shift ride-along with a patrol officer. Graduates of the Academy receive a graduation certificate from the Chief of Police and are eligible to join the Alumni Association which meets regularly to continue their training and support for community oriented policing.

The fall Citizen Academy class will meet weekly and enjoy free snacks on Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. beginning September 3 and concluding November 12 at Penn Valley Community College, 3201 Southwest Trfwy. The registration cutoff is August 20.

Persons may go online to www.kcpd.org and go to the Community tab and then click on Citizen Police Academy to download an application which can be mailed in to the address shown or emailed to angela.mccune@kcpd.org.