The City of Leawood can trace some of its earliest roots to law enforcement. In 1922, a retired police officer from Oklahoma City, Oscar G. Lee, moved to Johnson County. Lee Boulevard, the street that the Leawood Police Department is housed on, still bears his name.

The Leawood Police Department was started on January 18, 1949, when Robert E. Combs was chosen as the city's first Chief of Police. The first officers were unpaid volunteers. By 1971, the city had gradually hired paid patrol officers, and had grown to a staff of 14 officers under the command of Chief Martin J. Kelly.

As the city has grown, so has the police department. In 1986 there were 26 full-time officers and six civilians, including one dispatcher. Now the department has 60 sworn officers and 23 civilian employees.

The police department first operated out of three rooms in the converted basement/garage of the City Hall and remained there until 1974. With the continued growth of the city and the department, the police department moved into its current home at 9617 Lee Boulevard, which it shared with other city departments until after a major remodeling in 1990.

In 1999, the continued growth of the department led to the expansion into a new building located behind Fire Station #1. Now land has been purchased and plans are underway for the construction of a brand new station to house the police department and municipal court.