"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
- All City Departments
- Police Home
- Administration
- Protecting the Community
- Reaching into the Community
- Serving the Community
- On-Line Services
- What's New A.P.B.
Administration Home | Careers | Citizen Survey | Contact Us
History of Our Department | Police Mission Statement
History Home | Annual Reports | Retirees
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.
City of Leawood
