Operation100news

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Expanded use of police radio encryption to lock out public and reporters - "What Can I Do?"

With the announcement in late December 2023 that 13 Johnson County police departments would move to full encryption of all radio communications, many followers have asked how they can help fight for transparency and access to police radio transmissions.

Click to view larger.

The best way is to inform your local elected officials of your opinion.

Whether you prefer to attend and speak during a city council meeting, send emails, or make phone calls, What matters is that those elected to represent you know your opinion on this move.

Tell them why this issue matters to you.

Ask them if they were consulted by anyone from their police department about the decision to lock out the public and reporters from day-to-day police operations.

Let them know why it should matter to them and to the city they represent as a whole.

Those who hold elected office need to understand the importance of checks and balances at all levels of our country's government. They have sworn an oath to uphold our country's and our state's constitution. That includes the right to free speech and the ability for journalists to do their jobs without interference from the government.

Below, I've compiled a list of elected city officials and non-elected police officials for all of the cities and municipal police departments that have announced their intent to use full encryption of all operations beginning January 23, 2024.

The linked city council/governing body websites include maps to find your elected representative. I suggest contacting every elected representative within your city. This ensures that all members have received the same feedback and information from a constituent.

I have excluded the school district police departments, as most of their radio traffic concerns school security and children. Any more significant events or incidents on those campuses would involve the local municipal police department.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you prefer to make phone calls, those numbers can be found on each city and police department's webpage. If you plan to call a police department, please use an administrative phone number, not the non-emergency number or 911.

Alphabetically:

Fairway:

City Council webpage
Mayor - Melanie Hepperly Email - mhepperly@fairwaykansas.org
Ward 1 - Kelly-Anne Buszek Email - kbuszek@fairwaykansas.org
Ward 1 - Lee Story Email - lstory@fairwaykansas.org
Ward 2 - Dan Bailey Email - dbailey@fairwaykansas.org
Ward 2 - Jerry Williams Email - jwilliams@fairwaykansas.org
Ward 3 - Joseph Levin Email - jlevin@fairwaykansas.org
Ward 3 - David Watkins Email - dwatkins@fairwaykansas.org
Ward 4 - Jenna Brofsky Email - jbrofsky@fairwaykansas.org
Ward 4 - Tanya Keys Email - tkeys@fairwaykansas.org

Police webpage
Police Chief/Public Information Officer: J.P. Thurlo Email - jpthurlo@fairwaykansas.org

Leawood:

Governing Body webpage
Full Governing Body (Mayor and all councilmembers) - Email - allcouncil@leawood.org

The city of Leawood's website still needs to be updated with contact information for the new mayor or two new council members who started their terms on January 2, 2024.

Until that update is made, I would suggest using the allcouncil@leawood.org address.

Police webpage
Police Command Staff Email - policecommandstaff@leawood.org
Police Public Information Officer: Captain Brad Robbins Email - bradr@leawood.org

Lenexa:

City Council webpage
Mayor - Julie Sayers Email - jsayers@lenexa.com
Ward 1 - Joe Karlin Email - jkarlin@lenexa.com
Ward 1 - Courtney Eiterich Email - ceiterich@lenexa.com
Ward 2 - Bill Nicks Email - bnicks@lenexa.com
Ward 2 - Mark Charlton Email - mcharlton@lenexa.com
Ward 3 - Melanie Arroyo Email - marroyo@lenexa.com
Ward 3 - Chelsea Williamson Email - cwilliamson@lenexa.com
Ward 4 - Craig Denny Email - cdenny@lenexa.com
Ward 4 - Chris Herron Email - cherron@lenexa.com

Police webpage
Police Chief Dawn Layman Email - dlayman@lenexa.com
Police Public Information Officer Email - lenexapdpio@lenexa.com

Merriam:

City Council webpage
Mayor - Bob Pape Email - bpape@merriam.org
Ward 1 - Jacob Laha Email - jlaha@merriam.org
Ward 1 - Jason Silvers Email - jsilvers@merriam.org
Ward 2 - Whitney Yadrich Email - wyadrich@merriam.org
Ward 2 - Amy Rider Email - arider@merriam.org
Ward 3 - Christine Evans Hands Email - chrish@merriam.org
Ward 3 - Bruce Kaldahl Email - bkaldahl@merriam.org
Ward 4 - David Neal Email - dneal@merriam.org
Ward 4 - Staci Chivetta Email - schivetta@merriam.org

Police webpage
Police Chief Darren McLaughlin Email - dmclaughlin@merriam.org
Police Public Information Officer: Captain Jeremiah Waters Email - jwaters@merriam.org

Mission:

Governing Body webpage
Mayor - Sollie Flora Email - sflora@missionks.org
Ward 1 - Hillary Parker Thomas Email - hthomas@missionks.org
Ward 1 - Trent Boultinghouse Email - tboultinghouse@missionks.org
Ward 2 - Lea Loudon Email - lloudon@missionks.org
Ward 2 - Mary Ryherd Email - mryherd@missionks.org
Ward 3 - Brian Schmid Email - bschmid@missionks.org
Ward 3 - Debbie Kring Email - dkring@missionks.org
Ward 4 - Ben Chociej Email - bchociej@missionks.org
Ward 4 - Cheryl Carpenter-Davis Email - ccarpenter-davis@missionks.org

Police webpage
Police Chief/Public Information Officer: Dan Madden Email - dmadden@missionks.org

Olathe:

City Council webpage
Mayor - John Bacon Email - jbacon@olatheks.org
Mayor Pro Tem - Kevin Gilmore Email - kpgilmore@olatheks.org
At-Large - Wes McCoy Email - rwmccoy@olatheks.org
Ward 1 - Robyn Essex Email - rressex@olatheks.org
Ward 2 - Adam Mickelson Email - amickelson@olatheks.org
Ward 3 - LeEtta Felter Email - lfelter@olatheks.org
Ward 4 - Marge Vogt Email - mvogt@olatheks.org

Police webpage
Police Chief Mike Butaud Email - mbutaud@olatheks.org
Police Public Information Officer Sergeant John Moncayo Email - jamoncayo@olatheks.org

Overland Park:

City Council webpage
Full Governing Body (mayor and all council members) Email - governingbody@opkansas.org
Mayor - Curt Skoog Email - curt.skoog@opkansas.org or Email - mayor@opkansas.org
Ward 1 - Logan Heley Email - logan.heley@opkansas.org
Ward 1 - Holly Grummert Email - holly.grummert@opkansas.org
Ward 2 - Melissa Cheatham Email - melissa.cheatham@opkansas.org
Ward 2 - Drew Mitrisin Email - drew.mitrisin@opkansas.org
Ward 3 - Jim Kite Email - jim.kite@opkansas.org
Ward 3 - Richard Borlaza Email - richard.borlaza@opkansas.org
Ward 4 - Scott Mosher Email - scott.mosher@opkansas.org
Ward 4 - Greg Riess Email - gregg.riess@opkansas.org
Ward 5 - Sam Passer Email - sam.passer@opkansas.org
Ward 5 - Inas Younin Email - inas.younis@opkansas.org
Ward 6 - Jeff Cox Email - jeff.cox@opkansas.org
Ward 6 - Chris Newlin Email - chris.newlin@opkansas.org

Police webpage
Interim Police Chief Simon Happer Email - simon.happer@opkansas.org
Police Public Information Officer John Lacy Email - john.lacy@opkansas.org

Prairie Village:

City Council webpage
Full Governing Body (mayor, council members, city administrator/deputy/assistants, and city clerk) Email - councilmembers@pvkansas.com
Mayor - Eric Mikkelson Email - mayor@pvkansas.com
Ward 1 - Cole Robinson Email - crobinson@pvkansas.com
Ward 1 - Terry O'Toole Email - totoole@pvkansas.com
Ward 2 - Ron Nelson Email - rnelson@pvkansas.com
Ward 2 - Inga Selders Email - iselders@pvkansas.com
Ward 3 - Lauren Wolf Email - lwolf@pvkansas.com
Ward 3 - Lori Sharp Email - lsharp@pvkansas.com
Ward 4 - Dave Robinson Email - drobinson@pvkansas.com
Ward 4 - Tyler Agniel Email - tagniel@pvkansas.com
Ward 5 - Greg Shelton Email - gshelton@pvkansas.com
Ward 5 - Nick Reddell Email - nreddell@pvkansas.com
Ward 6 - Terrence Gallagher Email - tgallagher@pvkansas.com
Ward 6 - Ian Graves Email - igraves@pvkansas.com

Thursday, September 2, 2021

DUI suspected in late night crash with tree along Metcalf

Posted: September 2, 2021 - 8:28 a.m.

A man in his mid-30s was seriously injured in a crash with a tree near 66th Terrace and Metcalf late Wednesday in Overland Park.

An Overland Park police officer walks around the crashed
truck after firefighters extricated the driver
Click images to view larger
All photos ©Mike Frizzell - Operation 100 News

Police and firefighters were called to the 6600 block of Metcalf about 10:05 p.m. following reports that a truck had crashed into a tree.

"Witnesses reported vehicle one was traveling at a high rate of speed and at times driving southbound in the northbound lanes," Officer John Lacy of the Overland Park Police Department said. "Vehicle one ran off the road to the west and struck a tree."

At the scene, firefighters worked for about 10 minutes to extricate the driver from the crashed truck. The man suffered serious injuries to his legs.

Johnson County Med-Act and Overland Park firefighters transported the man to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas.

Johnson County Med-Act transported the man to the University of Kansas Hospital

Officer Lacy confirms the man sustained severe injuries and is suspected of driving under the influence.

Firefighters from Consolidated Fire District No. 2 and Mission police officers also responded to the call.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Police and firefighters examine the truck after the driver was transported by ambulance

The truck was heavily damaged in the crash.
Firefighters removed the driver's door in order to get the driver out

Police marked on the sidewalk where the truck left the southbound lanes of Metcalf.
The crashed truck is shown in the trees.

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Saturday, July 24, 2021

Two men killed in wrong-way crash on I-35

Posted: July 24, 2021 - 11:49 a.m.

The Kansas Highway Patrol says two men are dead after a crash on Interstate 35 in Mission early Saturday morning.

Troopers say a 2014 Ford F-250 was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of the interstate when it hit a northbound 2003 GMC Sierra head-on about 3:20 a.m.

Mission police were dispatched to check for a wrong-way driver and possible crash in the northbound lanes south of Lamar at 3:18 a.m.

Officers arrived to find two pickup trucks with significant damage, between Metcalf and Lamar. One of the trucks was on fire, with someone trying to use a fire extinguisher on the flames.

Firefighters from Consolidated Fire District No. 2 went to work on the fire and extricated the second driver from his truck.

One driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Johnson County Med-Act paramedics transported the other driver to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where he later died.

Late Saturday morning, Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers identified Sam E. Wilson, 23, of Greenwood, Missouri as the driver of the Ford F-250 and Robert D. Mangelsdorf Jr., 23, of Tonganoxie, Kansas as the driver of the GMC Sierra.

The highway patrol's crash log states that both men were wearing seat belts.

Police from several northern Johnson County agencies assisted with closing the northbound lanes of the interstate as the crash was investigated. The Kansas Department of Transportation called out workers to help with traffic control.

All lanes of the interstate reopened about 10 a.m.

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Saturday, June 26, 2021

Motorcyclist critically injured in crash with pickup truck

Posted: June 26, 2021 - 11:25 p.m.
Updated: June 27, 2021 - 3:27 a.m.

A man in his early 40s was transported to an area trauma center after his motorcycle crashed into the side of a pickup truck Saturday evening in Merriam.

Merriam police, Overland Park firefighters, and Johnson County Med-Act paramedics were called to Antioch Road at the top of the ramps to and from Interstate 35 just before 6:30 p.m.

Two officers from the Shawnee Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit examine the damage to the truck.
Click images to view larger
All photos ©Mike Frizzell - Operation 100 News

Johnson County Med-Act transported the motorcyclist, only identified as a 41-year-old man, to the University of Kansas Medical Center in critical condition. He was not wearing a helmet according to the police.

No one in the truck was injured. The driver of the truck remained on scene and was cooperating with the investigation.

At the scene, a Merriam Police Sergeant said they're unsure which driver had the green light. Police believe the motorcycle was southbound on Antioch, and the truck was exiting from northbound Interstate 35 to northbound Antioch Road.

The Shawnee Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit was called in to assist with the crash investigation. Shawnee officers mapped the crash scene using a FARO 3D Laser Scanner and a drone.

The Shawnee Police Department's FARO 3D Laser Scanner maps the crash scene.

The intersection reopened at about 9:15 p.m.

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Saturday, June 19, 2021

Man arrested following short car and foot chase in Shawnee

Posted: June 19, 2021 - 6:52 a.m.

A man in his 40s is in police custody after leading Shawnee officers on a short car chase early Saturday morning.

Shawnee and Lenexa officers stand near the suspect who ran from the car
Click images to view larger
All photos ©Mike Frizzell - Operation 100 News

An officer spotted the car driving without a front tire on westbound 75th Street near Switzer Road about 4:45 a.m.

Officers caught up with the car near Quivira Road and attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver continued driving westbound at speeds of 15-45mph on 75th Street and then onto Blackfish Parkway.

The car came to a stop on Blackfish Parkway just west of Cottonwood Street. As the officer waited on backup before approaching the car, the driver jumped out and ran north into the neighborhood.

Officers searched the suspect's car after his arrest.

A responding Shawnee officer spotted the man running between houses along 73rd Street and took him into custody after a brief struggle.

Several Lenexa officers also responded to assist with the foot chase.

Only identified as a man in his early 40s, the suspect was transported by Johnson County Med-Act with minor injuries from the scuffle with police.

Shawnee Fire and Johnson County Med-Act responded to check for injuries.

No officers were injured, and no other details were immediately available.

Check back with this report for updates.

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