Retiring KC Police Chief Rick Smith will collect big check for unused sick, vacation time
Outgoing Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith will be paid just over $274,900 for accrued sick and vacation time when he formally retires Friday after nearly 35 years in law enforcement.
The Board of Police Commissioners voted unanimously during a closed session Tuesday to approve the final payout for the accrued time through Aug. 31.
Smith recently announced that he was stepping down as police chief, months after being forced out by the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.
Smith’s annual salary was $189,000 and he is permitted under department policy to be paid for his unused sick and vacation time.
Joe Mabin, who had previously served as deputy chief for the investigations bureau, was sworn in as interim police chief during a brief ceremony Friday morning at the downtown police headquarters.
The payout amount to Smith is far less than the $499,117 that was owed to his predecessor, Darryl Forté, who stepped down as police chief in May 2017.
At the time of his retirement, Forté accumulated over 2,526 hours of compensatory time, about 1,500 of vacation time and over 5,000 hours of unused sick time.
Forté maintained a high profile during his tenure as police chief. He routinely showed up at crime scenes, sometimes in his off-duty clothes and riding his motorcycle. Forté frequently tweeted information and snapped photos of officers on the job, attended community meetings and was often accessible to residents through his social media platforms.
Smith, who was appointed police chief in August 2017, was visible at crime scenes but shied away from social media.
Smith was frequently criticized for his handling of excessive use of force, the killing of Black men by police and the city’s soaring homicide rate.
In November, Smith was told there were enough votes among members of the Board of Police Commissioners to force him out of the department. An agreement for Smith to announce his retirement was then drawn up.
The police board later confirmed that Smith would retire in the spring. Smith maintained that he always planned to retire after five years as chief.
