Informing the Public During Civil Unrest

Many law enforcement agencies across the United States were unprepared to deal with the public pain that rose to the surface, and the anger that was directed at police, after the death of George Floyd. Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) prepared for the George Floyd protests like they had so many others, but they soon realized “the way we’ve always done things” would no longer work. This case study will examine how KCPD changed direction during the course of the protests in both their public communications and their tactics on the ground to calm civil unrest, address community concerns, and work toward rebuilding trust.