Sitting in a dim room lit by the glow of several computer screens, the communications center at the Riley County Police Department bustled with activity as dispatchers took nonstop service, officer and 911 calls. Stationed with five monitors before her, Ryan Francis, a dispatcher of two years, handled the main radio frequency for all working police officers. Each screen displayed a different function — radio channels, maps of the counties, locations of officers and more. When the center received a service call, Francis was responsible for assigning officers to cases. Read more: Manhattan Mercury.

After much discussion and a multi-month trial period, it has recently been confirmed there will be permanent changes with the City of Liberal. In response to complaints from the public earlier this year, new hours of operation for Liberal City Hall and the Liberal Municipal Court facilities (7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Fridays) were tried out beginning in September and due to the extremely positive response, those hours will now be made permanent. “It's been completely positive. People can get in here at 7:30 a.m. and pay their bills before work if they need [...]

City leaders have approved funding for a study that will determine the rates at which local law enforcement agencies pull over and search people of color. As part of its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with Douglas County, Eudora, Baldwin City and the University of Kansas to fund and conduct the study. The city’s share of the costs would be $84,000 over two years. A team from Northeastern University in Boston will assist the law enforcement agencies to develop and implement a program for documenting the racial breakdown of motorist and pedestrian stops [...]