Voters again show support for Independence Police Department

On Tuesday, voters in Independence passed Proposition PD, a one-quarter of one cent sales tax that would go directly to fund the Independence Police Department.

"I am deeply grateful to the voters who supported Prop PD," said IPD Chief Adam Dustman. "We have seen the effect raising salaries has on our ability to hire new officers already. But it also improved our ability to retain our existing officers. Morale jumped when Prop PD was announced in May, and I can already feel it on our ranks again tonight."

The City of Independence's Proposition PD is the result of the Kansas City Police Department raising salaries for its officers, which, had Prop PD not passed, been the equivalent of a KCPD officer making $600,000 more throughout an Independence officer's 20-year career. The City of Independence has enough money in its reserves to cover the first year of salaries, but needed the Prop PD Sales Tax to cover the years going forward, roughly $5.47 million a year.

"Our community has always supported the men and women of our Independence Police Department," said City of Independence Mayor Rory Rowland, "and I thank them for doing the same again today."

Prop PD will go into effect on January 1, 2025. Previous sales taxes approved by voters include Proposition P to hire more officers, the Public Safety Sales Tax to purchase IPD equipment, and the Marijuana Sales Tax to fund public safety and emergency management.