Shop With a Cop Gives Christmas to 20 Children

Law enforcement officers brought Christmas to over 20 underprivileged kids on Saturday, December 14. The Shop with a Cop program brought smiles to children from Kearney and Holt.

“We have so many great local businesses and generous citizens that donated to this great cause to make it a success each year,” reads a post on the police department’s Facebook page. “The Kearney Police Department is very fortunate to have much an amazing community to serve! Thank you all!”

Police officers from Kearney and Lathrop, as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol and members of Behind the Badge – Kearney, MO, were able to take the excited kids Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart in Liberty for presents for their families and themselves.

In addition to shopping for presents, Price Chopper in Kearney donated a holiday meal to each family, and Hess Barbershop, Total E-Clips and Henry Rose Salon donated a free haircut to each child.

“The children and their families were absolutely thrilled with all of the items they were able to get for Christmas this year, all thanks to the generous donations of our Kearney community.”

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Kearney Police Fundraise for Shop With a Cop

The Kearney Police Department is accepting donations to their annual Shop With a Cop program. Officers will be out collecting money to help buy presents for children at several locations this year.

The Police Department loves this program and so far, they have been able to give to over 400 kids through Shop With a Cop.

“The Kearney Police Department has a rich tradition of this yearly fundraising effort that allows us to bring deserving children shopping before Christmas,” reads their post on social media. “It is an effort that the department has been committed to for a number of years and we enjoy every bit of it!” 

Officers will be collecting money at the following locations in November:

November 9, all day at Bulldog Nutrition and Kearney Nutrition

November 12, 5 – 8 pm at La Fuente

November 16, 8 am – noon at Price Chopper

November 27, 8 am – noon at Price Chopper

People can also donate at Venmo@KearneyMO-ShopwithaCop or by dropping off a check at Kearney Trust Bank (main bank or at Price Chopper).  Donors can also stop by the Police Department to make a direct donation to Shop With a Cop.

Kearney Officers will be shopping with close to 50 children from the Kearney School District on Saturday, December 14, at Wal-mart on Church Road in Liberty.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.

Police Department Announces Promotions of Seven Officers

The Kearney Police Department is excited to announce the promotion of seven experienced professionals following a rigorous promotion process that concluded in July. These promotions reflect the officers’ exceptional service, leadership and commitment to Kearney. The newly promoted officers are:

- Corporal Charles Leach - promoted to the rank of Sergeant. 

- Detective Blake Westerfield - promoted to the rank of Detective Corporal. 

- Officer Jeff Parton - promoted to the rank of Corporal. 

- Officer Phillip Lamanna - promoted to the rank of Corporal. 

- Officer Mark Taylor - promoted to the rank of Corporal. 

- Officer David Parker - promoted to the rank of Corporal.

- Officer Austin Dotson - promoted to the rank of Corporal. 

seven experienced professionals completed a rigorous promotion process that concluded in July.

Police Chief Mark Thomas, expressed pride in the newly promoted officers, stating, “These promotions are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our officers. Each of them has demonstrated their dedication to the principles of integrity, compassion, service and teamwork. I am confident they will excel in their new roles and continue to serve Kearney with professionalism and distinction.”

The promotion process involved a series of evaluations, including written exams, interviews and the submission of a resume highlighting their experience, training, education, and community involvement. The promoted officers stood out for their exemplary performance and readiness to take on greater responsibilities.

In addition to the promotions, two police officers have been assigned to new positions. Officer Caleb Nelson has been assigned as a detective in the Investigations Unit and Officer Cameron Philip will be the new School Resource Officer at the Kearney School District.

The Kearney Police Department remains committed to fostering a culture of growth and excellence to ensure that our officers are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of Kearney. 

These officers will be recognized at Kearney City Hall for their achievement at the August 19, 2024, Board of Aldermen Meeting. 

Kearney Appoints Thomas as Police Chief

The Kearney Board of Aldermen appointed Mark Thomas the new Police Chief at their August 5 meeting. The Aldermen approved Mayor Randy Pogue’s recommendation to make Thomas interim appointment permanent.

Kearney Police Chief Mark Thomas - submitted photo

Chief Thomas has been serving as the Interim Police Chief since March 6, 2024, and has demonstrated a commitment to community-focused leadership, professionalism and transparency within the department.

“I am solidly committed to the citizens of Kearney and look forward to working alongside our dedicated officers to ensure the safety and security of our community,” said Chief Thomas. “Together, we will build on the successes of the police department and address the challenges ahead with transparency, accountability and a commitment to excellence.”

Chief Thomas brings more than 42 years of law enforcement experience to the role, having previously served for the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Clay and Plate County Sheriff's Offices and the State of Missouri Department of Labor Worker’s Compensation Fraud Detection Unit. In his short tenure as Interim Chief, he has already adopted a formal promotion process for officers in the department to ensure that the process is transparent and that promotions are based on experience and performance, and he has focused on improving training opportunities for Kearney officers.

Mayor Randy Pogue is excited at Thomas’ appointment.

“It gives me great pleasure that the Board has accepted my appointment of Mark Thomas as Police Chief,” said Mayor Pogue. “I am enthusiastic about the initiatives Chief Thomas is undertaking to improve the police department’s performance, productivity and connections with the community. Chief Thomas is a strong leader with an excellent track record of fighting crime. This is truly exciting for our community.”

Chief Thomas is a graduate of Park University, having earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration, graduating with distinction. He has lived and worked in the Kearney community for more than 34 years, raising his family here. His commitment to the Kearney community has been solidified over the years.

More than 30 years ago, the Kearney community helped fundraise enough money to afford a liver transplant for his daughter that saved her life.

“I owe a debt to the Kearney community due to its overwhelming support during that difficult time that I will never be able to repay,” states Chief Thomas. “The Kearney police chief position gives me an opportunity to pay forward some of the kindness the community offered my family.”

Kearney Police Announces New K9 Officer

The Kearney Police Department announced the newest addition to the K9 unit on Monday, July 1. K9 Havoc will be joining the department in a few weeks.

“K9 Havoc has completed two and a half weeks of pre training at the Boone County Sheriff's Department and finished his first day of an eight-week handler class,” reads a post the police department’s Facebook Page.

Havoc is in a training class with Roman and Blitz, two other K9’s that will serve the Howell County Sheriff's Office, and the Buchanan County Missouri Sheriff’s Office.

Officer Parton and K9 Havoc have begin their journey to become certified in multiple areas of patrol work through Sheriff’s Department training at Boone County. Once certified, Parton and Havoc will be teaming up with Sgt. Garton and K9 Krash.

Brian Watts contributed to this story.