Kearney Police Carry Baby Supplies for Families in Need

Kearney police officers are now carrying diapers and other baby supplies in their patrol vehicles to help local families in need.

The Kearney Police Department is working with the Kearney School District’s Early Education Center and Parents as Teachers program to stock patrol vehicles with care packages officers can give to parents who need extra support.

Police say the goal is to offer immediate help while connecting families with child development resources and programs that can provide support beyond an officer’s initial visit.

One of those programs, Happy Bottoms, provides free diapers each month to eligible families. Families with children from birth through age 3 may qualify for 75 diapers or 50 pull-ups per month. Children who are 4 years old and have documented developmental disabilities may also be eligible.

Anyone who needs diapers or pull-ups, or knows a family who does, can use the Happy Bottoms sign-up form to apply.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Slow-Speed Chase Through Kearney Ends in Felony DWI Arrest

A Kansas City man is facing a felony DWI charge after leading Kearney police on a slow-moving chase down 92 Highway this afternoon, a pursuit that ended only when his car broke down in the middle of an intersection.

It started with a call from a concerned community member. Kearney Police were sent to the area of 92 Highway and Nation Road on a report of a dangerous driver in an orange Dodge Charger. According to police, the car had been swerving across the road and had already gone off the roadway and hit a tree.

An officer caught up with the Charger near 92 Highway and North Country Avenue, just in time to see the driver run a red light and nearly hit another vehicle. The officer tried to pull the car over, but the driver kept going.

What followed was hardly a high-speed chase. Police say the driver continued east on 92 Highway through town at about 30 miles per hour, still weaving from one side of the road to the other. The pursuit came to an end when the Charger became disabled and rolled to a stop in the intersection of 92 Highway and Platte Clay Way, near Sonic.

With help from a Clay County Sheriff's Office traffic deputy, officers safely took the driver into custody.

Because he has two previous DWI convictions, he was arrested for felony DWI as a persistent offender. He also faces charges of resisting arrest and careless driving, along with several other traffic violations. His name has not been released.

Kearney Police credited the person who called in the report, saying the tip helped officers get another impaired driver off the road.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Police Funding Tax Returns to Voters in November

Kearney voters will once again decide whether to approve a half-cent sales tax dedicated to supporting the city’s police department.

The measure, known as Prop P, is scheduled to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. If approved, the local public safety tax would help fund police staffing, competitive wages, overtime and additional safety needs for the Kearney Police Department. A similar initiative fell short by just 44 votes last year.

For shoppers, the increase would amount to 5 cents on a $10 purchase or 50 cents on a $100 purchase.

City officials say the need for additional funding remains unchanged since the proposal was last put before voters in 2024.

“Our needs haven’t decreased, just like every other city’s needs; expenses continue to go up,” said Colleen Doctorian, a communications representative for the city of Kearney.

Doctorian said revenue from the proposed tax would be directed toward officer pay and department safety, two areas city leaders have identified as priorities.

Retention is also a major reason the city is bringing the question back to voters. Doctorian said competitive salaries are necessary to keep experienced officers in Kearney and maintain public safety services.

“It is very important in order to retain officers we have to have funding to fund salaries and keep our officers safe,” Doctorian said.

Among voters, opinions on Prop P remain mixed. Opponents site inflation and the rising cost of everyday expenses as reasons why they are opposing the measure.

Kearney residents will go to the polls on November 3 to vote on Prop P.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Flock Camera Found Cut Down Near 19th and Nation Road

Kearney Police are investigating after a pole supporting a Flock license plate reader camera was cut down Thursday morning , though the pole and camera were left at the scene.

The reader was located near 19th Street and Nation Road, close to the site where a new fire station is under construction. City officials said the camera was in a remote area, and there were no nearby homes with security cameras that could have captured the incident.

Colleen Doctorian, the City of Kearney’s public information officer, said an officer discovered the damage early Thursday.

“Early this morning one of our officers noticed that the Flock camera that’s at 19th and Nation Road had been cut down,” Doctorian said.

Images from the scene showed what appeared to be a clean cut through the pole, with the camera lying on the ground nearby.

The damaged camera is one of 14 Flock cameras installed in Kearney, where the technology has become the subject of ongoing public discussion. Some residents have raised privacy concerns about automated license plate readers, while others have said they support the cameras as a law enforcement tool.

Doctorian said the city plans to replace the Nation Road camera. She said the police department uses the cameras to help with criminal investigations, describing them as one of several technology tools available to police.

City officials said anyone caught cutting down the cameras could potentially face felony property damage charges.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Kearney Police Department at 816-407-3700 or the department’s business line at 816-628-3925.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Kearney Named Blue Shield Community

The City of Kearney has been recognized as a 2026 Missouri Blue Shield Community by the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

This designation recognizes communities that demonstrate a strong commitment to public safety, support for law enforcement, and partnerships between officers and the community they serve.

The City and 102.7FM thanks the Kearney Police Department and everyone who works each day to help keep our community safe.