The Kansas City Council has approved $16 million to convert part of the police headquarters into a temporary jail, responding to growing community outcry over crime in the city.
The council voted 12-1 on Sept. 19 to fund the construction of a holding and booking facility on the eighth floor of the Kansas City Police Dept.’s downtown headquarters. The facility will have a capacity for 144 people, including 55 overnight beds, and is slated to open in 2026.
KCPD previously operated a holding and booking facility at its downtown headquarters for 77 years until it closed in 2015. Mayor Quinton Lucas co-sponsored the ordinance to construct the new facility and praised its passage.
“While we have much more work ahead, I was proud to sign into law funding to rebuild holding space for 144 criminal defendants at police headquarters. Our next step is the larger jail facility, which will require a public vote.”
Since the closure of KCPD’s downtown holding facility in 2015, KC has relied on a patchwork solution to handle arrests and detentions. The city currently sends individuals to jails in Vernon and Johnson counties, located 100+ miles away in mid-Missouri.
The decision to fund a holding and booking facility comes as residents and business owners have voiced increasing frustration over a spike in car thefts, break-ins, and other property crimes.
Councilmember Melissa Patterson Hazley, who represents District 3, supported the measure, citing concerns about crime in her area.
“I think it’s a misconception that these [crimes] are just minor inconveniences that we should just not deal with,” she told KCUR. “Children live in this area, trying to use the library. We’re trying to grocery shop.”
The lone dissenting vote came from District 6 Councilmember Johnathan Duncan, who expressed deep reservations about the plan.
“This rushed decision was made without knowing the operations & maintenance costs and will add $2 million to the KCPD budget for 40 additional officers to staff the facility,” said Duncan.
The $16 million will come from the city’s public safety sales tax fund and the general debt and interest fund. Construction is set to begin early next year, with hopes of completion before the city hosts six matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
While proponents argue the jail is necessary to provide “first consequences for arrests,” community activists express concerns about the impact on Black and brown communities. Chris Lopez, a member of Decarcerate KC, told KCUR that the new temporary jail is a “Band-Aid solution” that does not address the root causes of crime.
“We the taxpayers continuously pay to lock up our neighbors, our siblings, our family members,” Lopez said. “The city should be allocating these funds to resources that actually support and uplift communities rather than incarcerating them.”
Duncan echoed the sentiment, saying the jail doesn’t solve the city’s problems.
“Our communities are crying out. Armed juveniles steal our cars, serial burglars damage our businesses, and gun violence continues to plague our streets. There’s pressure to do something, but this facility will solve none of those and will house the non-violent & the homeless.”
The mayor defended the funding for renovations.
“Enforcement is vital for the community. We will never stop our investment in prevention and recovery, but there’s a key balance that requires us to use all tools, including enforcement, to keep our community safe,” Lucas said.
The approval of the temporary jail comes as officials continue to work on plans for a separate, larger municipal jail that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars and would require a public vote.
