March 3, 2020

By Michael Stolzle
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, ADMINISTRATION
City of Raytown, MO

The Raytown Board of Aldermen unanimously voted on Tuesday, March 3rd to confirm City Administrator Damon Hodges’ appointment of Robert J. Kuehl as the City’s first appointed Chief of Police.

On April 2, 2019, the community voted that the City of Raytown shall appoint a Chief of Police instead of electing a City Marshal (Chief of Police). While City administration went through the transition process of bringing forth a candidate for appointment, Major Randy Hudspeth has served as the Interim Chief. Baker Tilly, a public sector recruitment firm conducted a nation-wide search. This process was led by consultant Art Davis out of the Baker Tilly, Kansas City office. Robert Kuehl, currently a Deputy Chief for the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, became the front runner following a series of interviews.

Chief Robert Kuehl will be sworn-in on the morning of April 6, 2020 at Raytown City Hall. He begins work immediately following the swearing-in ceremony.

According to City Administrator Hodges, “Chief Kuehl will be a tremendous asset to our team. He is well respected in the Kansas City metro area and in the law enforcement profession. I want to thank Interim Chief Randy Hudspeth and the staff of the Raytown Police Department for their professionalism during this time of transition. I appreciate the work my staff and Baker Tilly have done during this process.

Lastly, I want to thank the Board of Aldermen and the citizens of Raytown for their support. Our goal for the citizens of Raytown is to provide a safe, prosperous, and enjoyable community. I believe Chief Kuehl’s visionary style of leadership paired with his practice of establishing strong long-term relationships locally, regionally and nationally will play a major role in helping us accomplish this goal.”

Mayor Mike McDonough stated, “this has been a great process that identified some strong candidates. Chief Kuehl’s familiarity with Raytown and the Raytown School District is an advantage that will allow him to hit the ground running as he starts to work closely with the RPD, city staff and other civic and neighborhood leaders to address the law enforcement priorities of our community”.

Regarding this opportunity, Kuehl said, “The City of Raytown is the perfect place for me. I am humbled to be selected as the Police Chief and am looking forward to assisting and working closely with the Police Department, the City Administrator and his Management Team, the Board of Aldermen, and all of the citizens of Raytown to improve the safety and security of the community as we strive to be the best we can be.”

About Robert Kuehl:

Mr. Kuehl, a 34-year veteran officer with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, currently serves as Deputy Chief for the Department. The KCMO Police Department serves approximately 480,000 residents and a much larger daytime population with approximately 1,400 employees supported by an approximate $248 million operating budget. Kuehl currently oversees all operations for the Professional Development and Research Bureau (including training) and previous assignments include Patrol Bureau Commander, as well as overseeing a variety of other elements within the Department. A graduate of the FBI Academy, Kuehl earned a Master of Arts Degree in Education with a concentration in Instructional Leadership from Graceland University, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Monmouth University.