Once again The Kansas City Star, the Urban League, and the Kansas City Homeless Union – whatever that is – have called for Kansas City Missouri Police Chief Rick Smith’s head on a pike. Why? Because Chief Smith, unlike former Chief Darryl Forté, has a backbone and can’t be bent to fit the mold of the woke mob.

The latest alleged misstep by Smith was to agree to accept an award at the Jackson County Republican Committee’s Reagan-Lincoln Day Dinner for keeping the city safe last summer during the violent Plaza riots – a well deserved honor in this News Dog’s eyes.

For his decision, Chief Smith was excoriated and Twitter bullied by Kansas City, Mo. Mayor Quinton Lucas, then summarily dragged over the coals by The Star’s Editorial Board, most of whom live in Southern Johnson County – but let’s not let that get in the way of a good whoopin’ behind the woodshed.

Let this News Dog be crystal clear, former Chief Forté made no secret about the fact that he attended many a political event, often at the public’s expense. Anyone else remember that $600,000 bill for “comp time” he stuck taxpayers with when he walked from the PD over to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office? But Forté is a Democrat so we’ll just look the other way and ignore the obvious.

The hypocrisy here is deafening.

Chief Smith doesn’t fit the “woke” political mold and won’t say, “How high?” when the Democrats say, “Jump,” so by golly he’s got to go. Cue the angry mob with torches and pitchforks.

Forté was a go-along-to-get-along guy by his own admission, often telling the media one thing and community groups demanding accountability something completely different, just to get out of a tight spot. Chief Smith, on the other hand, is a straight shooter and that just won’t do so we need his head on a pike.

Remember last summer when Chief Smith joined with the Mayor and took a knee at the Plaza riots in the name of unity and keeping the peace? Or when the chief played volleyball in Budd Park with other East Zone officers doing outreach with community members only to be called out by the “mask Karens” for not wearing five masks and an Air Force Fire Suit when interacting with the public? Chief Rick Smith has repeatedly gone out of his way to meet with and engage urban core neighborhoods in an attempt to quell the spiraling homicide and violent crime rate. Just ask Rosalyn Temple of Mothers in Charge how squared up and committed Chief Smith is with their group. Oh wait. Too easy?

Chief Smith’s payback for all this is a swift kick in the stones in the form of rioters becoming violent on the Plaza and Councilman Brandon Ellington and the rubber stamp woke Council veering out of their legislative lane into the judicial lane to erase over 200 tickets for non-compliance – among other things – given by officers during the summer of violence on the Plaza. Once again, Chief Smith doesn’t bend their way so he’s just got to go. Period, end of story.

Well this is where this Thin Blue Line, rule of law News Dog spells it out for those keeping score at home. This is all about the Mayor and his woke gang trying to wrench control of the police department away from the governor-appointed Board of Police Commissioners and put it into the hands of bought off woke locals who are bendable to every whim and wish of the leftist mob.

Pendergast era anyone? We saw how this shook out with Boss Tom, we saw how it worked last summer, and we continue to see how it will shake out today given the repeated calls for Smith’s head by the woke vocal minority.

This is about control and nothing else. They don’t have it, they want it, and they don’t care who gets pilloried in the process of them getting it. This Dog stands behind Chief Rick Smith and the rule of law. Come and get me.