UMKC students plan protest against new campus police chief who backed convicted detective

University of Missouri-Kansas City students are set to protest outside the campus police station on Tuesday at noon against the new campus police chief, Daniel Graves. Graves was hired last month despite controversy surrounding his past support for Eric DeValkaenare, a former Kansas City detective convicted of killing Cameron Lamb in 2019. In 2021, Graves wrote a letter advocating for DeValkaenare, stating that his arrest was politically motivated. The students, led by the UMKC Young Democratic Socialists of America, are also protesting the university's immigration enforcement protocol. The university conducted a national search for the police chief position and stated that it thoroughly vetted applicants, but the students feel their concerns have been ignored. The protest aims to push Graves to step down or the school to reverse the hiring decision.