Philly police leader, a critic of misconduct, is KCPD’s only Black finalist for chief

As a career police official in Philadelphia, DeShawn Beaufort has a reputation for being a fierce critic of misconduct who has worked to change in how cops interact with the communities they serve.

In 2021, the Philadelphia Inquirer told of how when Beaufort was in charge of the Northwest Police Division in Philadelphia, he made it a point to walk the streets and acquainted with residents, shop owners and the neighborhood youth.

It was the largest police patrol division, where Beaufort supervised 750 uniform officers and 180 civilian workers. He also has worked in narcotics, robbery, community police and tactical response.

He earned a master’s in business administration from Holy Family University in Philadelphia and an undergraduate degree in organizational leadership from Eastern University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

It was that level of education, training and community engagement that likely helped the Kansas City police board choose Beaufort as one of its three finalists to be police chief.

He is the only Black finalist.

Community and faith leaders have voiced their disappointment that none of the local or internal Black candidates who applied for the job, such as KCPD majors Dan Haley and Kari Thompson and former KCPD deputy chief Randy Hopkins, are among the finalists.

While the police board appointed Joseph Mabin, who is Black, as interim police chief, the small number of Black police commanders was among the key findings of a Star investigation of racism in the police force. The Star found KCPD had fewer Black officers and police commanders than would be proportionate for a city that is about 30% Black, and the number of them had declined in recent decades.

In September, the U.S. Department of Justice said it was launching an investigation of racism the police department’s employment practices.

Over the past 13 months, four former Kansas City police officers, all white, have been convicted of violent crimes against Black people, including one found guilty in a fatal shooting.

A fifth officer is facing a charge of misdemeanor assault stemming from the summer 2020 protests at the Country Club Plaza.

“In lieu of a changing world, it is obvious there is a movement in Kansas City to keep things firmly the same,” said Darron Edwards, lead pastor of the United Believers Community Church. “With an impending DOJ investigation that will focus on hiring, recruiting, retaining and promoting people of color, to not have an internal Black candidate make the lists says some processes need to change.

“You would think that two Black board members would study the process to make sure the playing field is equitable prior to beginning this search.”

The two Black members of the police board are board president Mark A. Tolbert and Mayor Quinton Lucas.

Tolbert defends search for KCPD chief

Tolbert previously told The Star he worked to ensure that qualified Black applicants were given serious consideration.

“Having Black candidates is important,” Tolbert said. “I did everything in my power to make sure that we had the most formidable black candidates in the pool.”

In announcing the police chief finalists, the board said in a news release that the search firm they hired received 21 applications for the job. Two of the applicants withdrew early in the process.

The initial pool included eleven applicants who were people of color or women – more than 50% of the applicant pool. The board recently interviewed several candidates. Tolbert said he could not say why any of the internal Black candidates were not selected among the finalists.

Missouri law sets the salary for the Kansas City police chief at no more than $189,700.

Edwards said that amount makes it difficult for the police board to get potential Black candidates outside of the region to apply.

“Most top notch national caliber candidates will require more than $189K to even consider a city like KCMO,” he said. “When you compare Wichita pays $225K, it’s embarrassing to be the largest city in Missouri with a non-competitive salary offer.

“The processes are designed to always choose an internal candidate,” Edwards said.

Sheryl Ferguson, an organizer with It’s Time 4 Justice, said she agreed that the current salary for police chief isn’t enough.

“That is a position that deserves a higher rate but we should also expect higher rate of accountability with that,” Ferguson said. “We need a police chief with a plan a action and a course of action and one who is not at war with the Black community as our previous chief was.”

New police chief, same challenges

If selected, Beaufort would inherit a police force that continues to face intense and unrelenting public criticism.

Residents have frequently lined up at the police board’s monthly meetings to express their anger and lash out at commissioners at their handling of the police department.

In his current assignment, Beaufort manages the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center and Fusion Center. In that capacity, he works with the department’s regional partners to review potential public safety threats, according to biographical information provided by KCPD.

Kansas City Police Department Major Stacey Graves, who currently serves as an acting deputy chief and Scott Ebner, a retired lieutenant colonel and deputy superintendent of administration for the New Jersey State Police are the other finalists.

The police board will soon decide which one will take over for Interim Police Chief Joseph Mabin, who was appointed in April following the departure of Chief Rick Smith.

Residents will be able to meet and hear from the finalists during a community forum that will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, at the Robert J. Mohart Multipurpose Building, 3200 Wayne Avenue. The event can be viewed here.

Beaufort did not respond to several requests from The Star for comment on this story.

In other media accounts, he has publicly shared his frustration with past misconduct inside the Philadelphia police department which makes it difficult for officers to develop working relationships with residents.

In November 2020, Beaufort was in line to be promoted to chief inspector which would allow him to oversee investigations of officers accused of breaking the law and misconduct.

But not long after that promotion, Beaufort was the subject of an internal review following a road rage incident. Beaufort had just pulled into the parking lot of CVS when a motorist nearly struck him, then made an obscene gesture and threatened Beaufort, according to The Inquirer.

Details of the internal review were not released. But Beaufort was denied the promotion and he was given another assignment with less pay, the newspaper reported.

Prior to being named a finalist for the job in Kansas City, Beaufort was considered for the police chief opening in Miami.