click to enlarge
-
"Buddy" enjoys steamy baths.
The Kansas City Police Department's website is a whole lot more informative than a visit to the first floor of headquarters (sometimes known as, "Hocus, Pocus, 12th and Locust").
Don't believe it? Well, would you believe that they've posted biographical information for each of the horses in their mounted patrol? Because that's first on our list.
Horse Bios
There are pictures of the KCPD's equine officers and their human counterparts under the heading "Mounted Patrol," but the horse biographies are the best part. According to the site, Police Mount "Cisco" likes music and children, a patrol horse named "Beethoven" loves classical music and playing the piano, and "Lamplighter," who's still in training, "enjoys sunny days blowing bubbles by the lake."
Lamplighter better get his act together before he's assigned to patrol the glue factory.
Online Property Room
The KCPD provides a link to PropertyRoom.com, where unclaimed property that winds up in police custody is auctioned off to the public. The website is run by a third party and there are listings of property from several cities' police departments, but damn, check out that Cartier watch! And a 1999 Jeep Cherokee for $1,900? What a steal! 'Cause ... it probably was.
click to enlarge
Rent the Police AcademyA section titled "Academy Facility Rental" describes how citizens can rent out rooms at the Regional Police Academy building at
6885 Northeast Pleasant Valley Road. Classroom rentals run $35 an hour, the firing range classroom goes for just $30 an hour, and the 140-seat gymnasium can be rented for $40 an hour. Five hundred dollars will get you four hours in the facility's auditorium. And if your bride has a thing for men in uniform, why not have your wedding reception in the police academy's reception room for a scant $40 an hour? The KCPD -- they're all about bargains.
Crime Stats Ever wonder how likely you are to be featured as the
Plog's next Killa City post? The KCPD's website displays tons of illuminating statistics on crime. According to the
2009 Annual Report, there were 110 homicides last year. Twenty-two victims were female, 88 were male. Forty-seven of the victims were between 17 and 24 years old. Eighty-one victims were black, 21 were white, and 8 were Hispanic. The vast majority -- 95 victims -- were killed with firearms. Do the math and you might re-think leaving the house ever again.
Online VideosDude, it's just like
"Hot Pursuit" on Tru TV! If
this section of the KCPD's site is to be believed, only two of the department's videos have been cleared for public release. The first shows
a drunk driver careening into the police cars stopped on the side of the road to conduct a DUI arrest.
The other is dash-cam video of police officers shooting a man in
Iser Park on September 6, 2009. Two months later, a Jackson County grand jury cleared the officers of wrongdoing. "KCPD has released this video to illustrate the dangers KCPD officers face daily," the introduction reads. "We are also committed to being transparent. No officer ever wants to kill another human being, but as you can see in the video, sometimes they are left with no choice." This video is preceded by a warning about "disturbing images," which is always a good sign.
