Retired New Jersey police official, named in two lawsuits, is finalist for KCPD chief

One of the finalists in the selection of Kansas City’s next police chief has a long track record in law enforcement and in the past year has been a finalist for the same position in four other cities.

Scott Ebner, a retired commander from the New Jersey State Police, had previously been considered to lead police departments in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Hawaii.

He is named in two ongoing gender and disability discrimination lawsuits in New Jersey.

Now he is one of three candidates in the running to be chief of the Kansas City Police Department.

Ebner, along KCPD Acting Deputy Chief Stacey Graves and DeShawn Beaufort, an inspector with the Philadelphia Police Department, will make their case as to why they should be selected to lead the department during a public forum scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Mohart Multiple Purpose Building at 3200 Wayne Ave. The event can be viewed online.

Activists and community leaders have criticized how the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners has handled the police chief selection. Some said the board conducted its search for a new police chief behind closed doors and failed to engage the community in their efforts.

Aurora, Colorado

In October, Ebner was one of four finalists for police chief in Aurora, Colorado, a city just east of Denver with over 389,000 residents.

But city officials launched a new search amid community complaints that the panel lacked diversity among finalists, and all but one finalist withdrew, according to the Denver Gazette.

While a finalist for the police chief job in Aurora, Ebner talked about why he chose a career in law enforcement.

“Throughout my career, I have always put the public before myself,” he said during an interview that was featured on The Aurora Youtube Channel. “We are willing to put ourselves in harm’s way to protect someone we don’t even know.”

Ebner talked about the importance of diversity within the police force and officer wellness as well as how critical it is to foster better community relations. Breaking down racial and cultural barriers are key elements in crime prevention and building safe communities, he said.

“The community has to know that they can come to you and feel safe that they can give you information so we can investigate and not feel that they will be investigated when they are the ones reporting it,” he said during the interview. “A lot of people think it is simple but it is not.”

Policing problems in Kansas City

Whoever the police board chooses will lead a department that has struggled to keep officers and sustain community trust. The police board has paid out millions to settle lawsuits and excessive use of force claims.

Over the past 13 months, three former officers have pleaded guilty in Jackson County Circuit Court to assaulting Black residents. A year ago, a former detective was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a Black man.

The U.S. Department of Justice is in the early stages of investigating whether KCPD engaged in a “pattern or practice” of racial discrimination in its employment practices.

The federal investigation was announced after The Star published a series of news stories that examined racism within KCPD. Black officers said they were called racial slurs, were racially profiled by fellow officers and disproportionately disciplined by their white supervisors.

The executive search firm Public Sector Search & Consultants had recommended Ebner to Aurora before the firm was hired by Kansas City and he became a candidate for the KCPD.

Ebner named in discrimination lawsuits

Ebner worked for the New Jersey State Police for 27 years, beginning his career there as a trooper and working his way up to lieutenant colonel. Prior to that, he worked for the Cape Coral Police Department in Florida.

He earned a master’s degree in human resources management, training, and development and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He’s also a graduate from the FBI National Academy and the Executive Leaders Program which was sponsored by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School.

Ebner is named in two ongoing lawsuits filed last year in New Jersey.

One was filed by a state police employee who claimed he was a victim of disability discrimination and retaliation. Ebner was a supervisor of the man, who alleged Ebner violated merit-based laws on promotions intended to prevent nepotism.

The second was filed by four female employees alleging gender discrimination.

One of the women, a captain, said she suffered discriminatory treatment when Ebner allegedly tried to oust her from the colonel’s office and made false accusations against her.

The Star was unable to reach Ebner for comment.