By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
December 17,2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Kansas City officials might soon set a new precedent.

Last Thursday, the city’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously supported the name Leon Mercer Jordan East Patrol Campus for the soon-to-open East Patrol Division police station. Construction has since began on the $74-million project, which is scheduled for completion by winter 2015-2016. The facilities are scheduled to open in early 2016.

The city council is set to vote on the new name at its next meeting, Thursday, Dec. 18.

This would be the first time the name of a police station in Kansas City would include something other than its geographic location. Third District Councilman Jermaine Reed and 3rd District at-large Councilwoman Melba Curls have lead the charge for the name change, with support from Kansas City’s African American residents, leaders, and political groups.

Other names which were suggested by residents during a recent community meeting on the subject included former City Council members Alvin Brooks, Negro Leagues great Buck O’Neill, former Kansas City Royals player Frank White or incorporating the city’s rich jazz history into the name.

Committee Chair Russ Johnson said even though none of the city’s police station have yet to be named after an individual, many other municipal buildings around Kansas City share the city’s rich history.

During the public hearing, a statement from Mayor Sly James was read which said the current process is to name the building based off of location and changing that process could have ripple effects throughout the city with more than 100 other buildings. He added that he’d prefer for the names of patrol station to remain based on its location.

“To the best of my knowledge and recollection, the only city buildings named after dignitaries are unique buildings, such as the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center or Bartle Hall,” James wrote. “I’m open to the idea of naming the Community Room in the building, or even renaming Prospect Avenue, after Mr. Jordan, if the community deems that appropriate and the Council approves.”

Those from the community who came to speak on behalf of supporting the police station being named after Leon Jordan included several Third District council members Richard Tolbert, Carol Coe, Sharon Sanders Brooks and Rosemary Lowe. Five more from the Eastside community spoke out at the committee hearing in support of the name change.

All of those who spoke in support of Jordan echoed the same sentiments; how he served three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, was the first African American lieutenant for the Kansas City Police Department, was a successful military pilot and was recruited by the Republic of Liberia where he was a Lieutenant of police and Chief of the Constabulary. Brooks noted to the council that naming the station after Jordan could also be a great recruiting tool to get more African Americans enrolled in the line of duty.

Ameena Powell, who lives near the future police station, however, was against the name change. She said she didn’t believe this was the right project to memorialize Jordan. Powell pointed out how Jordan does, in fact, already have a park named after him — The Leon M. Jordan Memorial Park, located at 31st Street and Benton Boulevard — and building upon that park would be a better way to recognize his legacy to the community. She also suggested renaming the portion of Garfield Street of which he lived in his honor

“We shouldn’t muck up his legacy with the nonsense that has gone on with this project,” Powell said.