Judge rules against Kansas City plan to shift funds from police to community services

[Geee]

The Hill

A Missouri judge on Tuesday ruled that the Kansas City Council violated state law when it approved plans to reallocate millions of dollars in funds away from the city's police department.

KMBC reported Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) and the City Council sought to reduce the budget for the Kansas City Police Department earlier this year by $42.3 million. After the City Council approved the measures to cut the budget, the Kansas City police board filed a lawsuit in May seeking to overturn those ordinances.

The money taken out of the police budget was meant to be reallocated to community programs aimed at preventing crime and expanding community outreach.

A Jackson County judge ruled that by approving these measures, the City Council overstepped its authority and violated state laws, according to KMBC. The judge ordered that the funding that had been reallocated be restored to the police budget.