Setting Reform Priorities

 On June 18th, 2020, the Racial Profiling Advisory Board of Wichita Kansas held a Town Hall meeting in the Urban Preparatory Academy gym.  A diverse group of over 100 citizens of Sedgwick County came together to discuss then vote to rank order which Racial Justice Reforms will have the greatest impact to protect lives plus assure transparency and accountability throughout the Sedgwick County judicial system. 

 The initial list of 23 reforms included Recommendations to Transform Policing by members of the RPAB of Wichita, the national NAACP, the national Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) and the ACLU. Suggested reforms from other cities and individuals who attended the Town Hall were also included.  

 Since 1980, there have been 48 people killed by Wichita Police. In addition, there are still over 20 excessive use-of-force cases against WPD officers. Many of these cases involve people of color. However, the City always claims that their police officers were justified to injure or kill. 

 Black people living in our Community are disproportionately impacted. For example, six research studies conducted since the year 2000 ALL confirm that Black drivers in Wichita are twice as likely to receive a traffic citation even though they are less likely to speed, run a red light or fail to signal a turn. In addition, Black drivers or their passengers were three times more likely to be arrested, searched or have force used against them by the police officers who stopped them.