Sandy MaloneKansas City, MO – The mayor of Kansas City introduced legislation that would make it illegal for anyone to dox law enforcement officers or elected officials.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas introduced the measure on July 23 that would criminalize “doxing” police or lawmakers after he met with police families who expressed concern about the malicious practice, The Kansas City Star reported.
Lucas announced the initiative on social media platforms.
“Last Saturday, I met with families of police officers. Among concerns they expressed are increasing situations of ‘doxing’ of law enforcement officers’ addresses and contact info, which means sharing personal information with malicious intent,” the mayor wrote on his official Facebook page.
“These activities have been meant to harass officers and their families. I promised I would introduce an ordinance to criminalize doxing of our public servants and am proud to do it today,” he continued.
“Our public employees have a right to get home safely and their families should be free from harm,” Lucas wrote. “I condemn any sharing of police officer addresses and personal details and I look forward to Council joining me to make such actions against officers, our city employees, and other public servants illegal in Kansas City.”
“We welcome free expression in Kansas City and disagreement on issues of public concern, including public safety. We do not welcome intimidation of people doing the jobs we hire them to do or intimidation of their spouses and children,” the mayor added.
Saturday I met with families of police officers. Among concerns expressed was “doxing" of law enforcement officers' addresses and contact info, which means sharing personal information with malicious intent. I am introducing an ordinance today to criminalize such actions. pic.twitter.com/qGiEJr0wog
— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) July 23, 2020
Doxing has been a hot topic in Missouri lately.
In June, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson was heavily criticized after she accidentally identified Black Lives Matter activists by releasing a list of residents who had signed a petition to defund the police, KSHB reported.
Lucas’s proposed ordinance prohibits the doxing of public servants, including their families and domestic partners.
It makes it illegal for anyone to publish personally identifiable data to “intimidate, abuse, threaten, harass, stalk (or) frighten” a police officer or elected official if doing so could put that officer, their immediate family, or intimate partner in jeopardy, The Kansas City Star reported.
The law specifically prohibits the publication of Social Security numbers, birth dates, home addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, financial information, health or insurance information, or school or employment location.
However, the measure doesn’t specify the penalty for doxing a police officer, KSHB reported.
Lucas, who was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) in his last election, has joined protesters calling for police reforms in recent weeks at the same time he has continued to say that he supported law enforcement.
In June, the mayor signed onto a list of demands that included local control of the city’s police department, The Kansas City Star.
The Kansas City Police Department is currently overseen by a board appointed by the Missouri governor, of which Lucas is a member.
Lucas introduced legislation to put a question on the November ballot asking residents if they wanted city leaders to push for local control of their police department, The Kansas City Star reported.
A vote on that initiative was postponed until August.
Holly Matkin
