Resident urges Overland Park to publish prosecutor demographic dashboard

Bethany King, a resident of 7218 Concert Street, urged the Overland Park City Council on March 2 to increase transparency in the city prosecutor’s office by publishing a dashboard showing how cases are distributed across protected classes.

"I'd like the city prosecutor's office to display a dashboard showing the percentages of various protected classes in relationship to the department's handling of cases," King said during the meeting's public comment period. She told the council she submitted a Kansas open records (CORA) request asking what demographic information the prosecutor's office maintains and was told the city does not keep that information in a centralized place and that providing records could cost $529.

King said the dashboard concept she shared with the council was modeled on a prosecutorial performance indicators plan developed by universities with grant support and placed a one-page set of measures in the council packet. "It was given to the public as a means of providing ... municipalities and state governments the chance to provide transparency and accountability in their criminal justice systems," she said.

King asked the council to consider whether current charging decisions (for example, fewer charges in domestic assault or aggravated assault cases) reflect public-safety priorities or other incentives, and to explore whether staff can compile and publish clearer, regularly updated metrics about case handling. The council did not take immediate action on the request; King closed her remarks by thanking the council.