BLUE SPRINGS POLICE, EASTERN JACKSON COUNTY AGENCIES FORM JOINT POLICE INVOLVED INVESTIGATIONS TEAM
The Blue Springs Police Department announced a joint agency Police Involved Investigations Team with the Lee’s Summit Police Department, Grandview Police Department, and Independence Police Department.

This multi-agency team will pool resources to conduct joint investigations for incidents that result in officer-involved fatalities or serious injuries. Previously, these investigations were conducted by the Missouri Highway Patrol, but as the Highway Patrol caseload has increased, the Eastern Jackson County agencies have been working together to help expedite these types of investigations.

“It is extremely important for each of our agencies to have the public’s trust, especially in times of officer-involved incidents,” Blue Springs Police Chief, Bob Muenz said. “We have the utmost confidence that our trained investigators in each of our agencies can handle investigations as an outside entity for officer-involved incidents.”

No agency will investigate its own officer-involved incidents and the involved agency will only participate as a liaison to assist in providing the investigating agencies with information and evidence. The Police Involved Investigations Team will then present its findings to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for review.

This program is modeled after similar programs in Johnson County, Kan., and in municipalities north of the Missouri River and has been in development for the last year. The investigators participating in the Police Involved Investigations Team have undergone special training to specifically investigate officer-involved incidents with thoroughness and impartiality.