Promoting Officer and Community Wellness in Kansas City, Missouri

Saturday, October 14, 2023

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST

Location: Room: 4

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Jonas Baughman

Captain
Kansas City Police Department, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Speaker(s)

Kari Thompson

Major
Kansas City Police Department, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Jennifer Prohaska, PhD

Clinical Psychologist
Insight Public Safety and Forensic Consulting
Overland Park, Kansas, United States
Melesa Johnson

Director of Public Safety
City of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, United States

This panel addresses three themes that can be intertwined to improve organizational and community wellness. The panel will open with discussion about Tactical Longevity, an innovative resiliency program for Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) officers implemented at the field training level. Next, the KCPD's new Community Engagement Division will share how it redeploys existing resources to meet community needs such as social services, LGBTQ+ outreach, and other opportunities to creatively bridge the police-community divide. Last, a partner from the mayor's office will offer insight into how violence intervention work with KCPD is progressing, including through joint efforts. The idea is that healthy officers are better equipped to meet community needs, and meeting community needs makes a stronger police department.