Police partner with Kansas City Complete Count Committee for big Census Day event

PRESS RELEASE

The 2010 Census Portrait of America Road Tour is coming to Kansas City from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 1, at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center to talk to community members about the vital importance of participating in the 2010 Census on National Census Day.

Mayor Mark Funkhouser and other City Council members will speak to the importance of the Census at 11:30 a.m. Multicultural dancers and story-tellers will perform throughout the day. Free lunch will be available, as will the Kansas City Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Section and Kansas City Fire Department fire truck. The KCPD helicopter will land at about 12:30 p.m., weather permitting.

This event is part of simultaneous national and regional cross-country Road Tours in which participants can learn about the 2010 Census and the positive impact their participation can have on their community. Census data is used to allocate the 435 seats in Congress, and directly affects how more than $400 billion per year in federal funding is distributed to tribal, state and local governments and non-profit organizations serving their communities.

EVENT DETAILS: Thursday, April 1, 2010
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center
3700 Blue Parkway
Kansas City, MO 64130


ON SITE VISUALS: Please stop by the 2010 Census Portrait of America Road Tour to:

• Fill in a larger-than-life 10 question Census questionnaire with the actual questions from this spring’s survey.
• Record your story on a Portrait of America Kiosk
• Learn about the importance of the 2010 Census to your community
• Get some great 2010 Census giveaways

Police trying to find missing woman with memory loss

UPDATE: Sylvia Bell returned home April 1.

Kansas City Police are looking for 48-year-old Sylvia Bell, missing since 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 30. Ms. Bell suffers from memory loss and intended to take a cab home yesterday. She instead gave the driver an address where she used to live, 1822 Spruce. No one has seen or heard from her since she got out of the cab there. Her family is worried about her.

Ms. Bell is black, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 110 pounds. She may be disoriented. She was last seen wearing a purple shirt, dark jeans and purple and white striped socks. She had her hair in two ponytails. If you know where Sylvia Bell is, please have her contact her family and notify the KCPD Missing Persons Section at 816-234-5136.

Dodgeball pictures

Saturday's News vs. Blues Dodgeball Tournament was a great time. I even played several rounds. The event raised $3,700 for the KCPD Care Team, who were the ultimate winners. The winner of the actual tournament was the Narcotics and Vice Division team. (Unfortunately, several of them are under-cover, so I can't post their photos here.) They barely eeked out the championship over the Eastsiders (which included several officers from the East Patrol Division). A big thank you to all the media and other law enforcement agencies who participated. Everyone from KMBZ 980 AM to the new media of kcconfidential.com to television morning show personalities (sorry about your glasses, Kris Ketz) were there. Enjoy these photos from one of the most fun KCPD events of the year. (Click to see a bigger version of any picture.)

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Victims of weekend crash, homicide identified

Police have identified the victims of a Friday night homicide and Saturday afternoon fatality car crash.

The homicide took place at about 8:15 p.m. Friday, March 26. Police were called to 5637 Norton to investigate the sound of shots being fired. When they arrived to the scene, they found 21-year-old Jamil D. Ragland lying in the parking lot of the Friendship Village apartments. He had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. He is pictured below. Anyone with information in the case should call 816-474-TIPS.

Then at about 3 p.m. Saturday, March 27, KCPD accident investigators went to meet officers on the scene of a confirmed fatality crash at Gregory Boulevard and 71 Highway. Investigation determined that a 30-year-old Kansas City man driving a Chevrolet SUV was westbound on Gregory at a high rate of speed. The SUV passed through traffic on the northbound 71 side, but then collided with a line of vehicles, which were stopped facing west at a red light on Gregory at southbound 71. The victim, 12-year-old Damien Slayton of Kansas City, Mo., was a back-seat passenger in the first vehicle struck and was pronounced dead at the scene. The two other occupants in that vehicle, one of whom is Damien's mother, were transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Two drivers from other cars went to the hospital with minor injuries. In all, five cars and seven people were involved in the crash. The suspected driver was transported to a hospital with serious injuries, and police continue to investigate the crash.

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News vs. Blues tournament tomorrow promises epic dodgeball battle

One of the greatest annual sporting events in Kansas City will play out tomorrow afternoon at St. Pius X High School. OK, maybe not the greatest, but definitely one of the funniest. The third annual News vs. Blues Dodgeball Tournament begins at noon tomorrow, March 27, at St. Pius, 1500 NE 42nd Terrace, Kansas City. The tournament benefits the KCPD Care Team, a non-profit organization that assists members of KCPD and their families in times of need. It pits area news personalities against police officers in that most challenging of sports: dodgeball.

Channel 5 has even created a short documentary outlining how they're preparing for the event.

In addition to watching meteorologists go head-to-head with detectives, an inflatable bounce house for children will be available, and so will the horses and officers of the Mounted Patrol Division, as well as the KCPD helicopter (weather permitting). Concessions will be available from local Boy Scout troops. Donations will be accepted at the door for the KCPD Care Team but aren't necessary to come watch.

I really want to thank the local media for partnering with us in this and many other endeavors. May the best team win!

(I'll post tournament photos on Monday.)

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Watchful resident nabs burglar, helps solve 12 cases

Tuesday was a busy day here at KCPD HQ. We swore in a new police commissioner and gave out a number of awards, including a Certificate of Appreciation to Kansas City resident Chris Jancich.

He didn’t know it at the time, but Chris helped solve 12 burglaries because of his astuteness.

At 11:16 a.m. September 17, 2009, Mr. Jancich was home from work to run errands when he saw a woman knocking on his neighbor’s door across the street on Northwest 95th Place. She kept looking around like she was watching for someone. After she knocked for a few minutes, the woman went around the back of the house, and soon Mr. Jancich saw the house’s garage door opening and the woman inside. Mr. Jancich thought this was strange, so he called police and continued to watch what was happening. He told the calltaker the woman got in a black car he didn’t recognize, backed it into the garage, and closed the garage door.

Officers arrived a couple minutes later and contacted Mr. Jancich, who gave them all of the details of what he’d seen. The officers knocked on the house’s front door and could hear someone moving around inside, but no one answered the door. They called for back up to cover the home’s exits. One officer remained in constant contact with Mr. Jancich and was eventually able to get the contact information for the people who owned the house. The homeowner came from work to the house with a garage door opener and key. He said no one should be inside at that time. Police then captured the woman Mr. Jancich saw climbing out a basement window with a bag full of stolen goods, including a laptop computer belonging to a neighbor burglarized earlier in the week. Officers found a broken kitchen window through which she’d entered.

Property crimes detectives later discovered that the woman and her boyfriend were behind multiple burglaries in Jackson and Clay counties. A dozen burglaries were solved through this one case.

Sergeant Skip Cox said Mr. Jancich’s perceptive and judicious actions are a reminder of the high quality of people living in Kansas City. He said, “It would have been easy to just go about his business and ignore the situation. Instead, Mr. Jancich chose to make a difference.”

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Officers honored for putting in extra work to keep domestic violence victims safe

At yesterday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting, I presented Certificates of Commendation to officers Kim Shaw and Kate Mahurin (they're pictured above with Capt. Pat Grove). With the help of Synergy Services, these officers have gone way above and beyond to ensure victims of domestic violence can get help in their situations. Here's what they did:

KCPD implemented the Lethality Assessment Program in June 2009. This program requires officers responding to a domestic disturbance to ask the victim 12 specific questions about his or her relationship with the abuser. How the victim answers can trigger officers to call a domestic violence advocate from the scene and put them on the phone directly with the victim to arrange for safety planning or other services. But the North Patrol Division took the program one step further.

North Patrol is conducting a pilot program that involves officers re-contacting domestic violence victims to see if they’ve followed up with the advice of domestic violence advocates. Officers Shaw and Mahurin are leading this pilot project. They attended five training courses in 2008 and 2009 to prepare for the program. They now collect and review all of North Patrol’s domestic violence reports and lethality assessment forms. On a weekly basis, they use these reports and work with a domestic violence advocate to re-contact high priority victims in person.

Of the 41 victims they re-contacted from July to October 2009, 38 – or 95 percent – asked for more help. On some cases, Officers Shaw and Mahurin determined the victim’s injuries were greater than originally thought, so they pulled the city cases and re-filed them as state felonies. Additionally, in the course of meeting with victims, Officers Shaw and Mahurin also met with abusers. Seven out of the eight abusers they contacted from July to October asked for counseling services from domestic violence agencies.

Sergeant Lawrence White said victims and domestic violence advocates have praised the work of Officers Shaw and Mahurin, and all are confident that the officers’ work will lead to reduced domestic violence incidents. The Special Victims Unit is reviewing the results of the North Patrol Pilot Project to possibly implement city-wide.

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Alvin Brooks sworn in to Board of Police Commissioners

Today was an historic day as Alvin Brooks was sworn into the Board of Police Commissioners. Mr. Brooks is well known for his anti-crime advocacy in the community and for his tenure on the City Council. What some people may not know is that he also once was a Kansas City police officer. He pointed out at his swearing in today how he has come full circle. During his tenure in the 1950s, black officers were only allowed to patrol certain parts of the city. Now, he is in charge of overseeing the entire Kansas City Police Department, including me. He replaces outgoing Commissioner James Wilson, whose term had expired.

The entire Board of Police Commissioners and me.

Presenting Mr. Brooks with his new police commissioner badge.

Alvin Brooks with retiring commissioner James Wilson, center, and BOPC Vice President Karl Zobrist.

Judge Thomas Newton administering the oath of office to Mr. Brooks.

I look forward to the perspective Commissioner Brooks will bring to the Board and eagerly anticipate working with him in the future.

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Wanted for murder of 7-11 clerk Gurpreet Singh: Phillip Martin

UPDATE: Martin was taken into custody at about 11:15 p.m. March 22 near 13th and Cleveland without incident. Thanks for your help.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of 19-year-old Phillip Martin for the March 17 murder and robbery of 35-year-old Gurpreet "Tony" Singh. Singh was working at the 7-11 at 8105 E. Bannister Road at about 1 a.m. when Martin entered the store and demanded money. Singh gave Martin the money, but Martin shot him anyway. The whole incident was captured on the store's surveillance camera. Singh was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries. If you know where Phillip Martin is, please call 911 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Agenda for Board of Police Commissioners meeting Tuesday, including swearing in of Alvin Brooks

Board of Police Commissioners Meeting
Agenda – Tuesday, March 23, 2010


9:00 a.m. – 6th Floor, Board Room

1. Call to Order – Invocation – Pastor Dennis Dewey.

2. Swearing in of new Police Commissioner Alvin L. Brooks.

3. Awards and Commendations.

Certificate of Appreciation
Mr. Greg Bourdon
Mr. Thomas Babb

Certificate of Appreciation
Mr. Chris Jancich

Life-Saving Award
Officer William Hooley
Officer Wesley Lambright

Certificate of Commendation
Officer Kate Mahurin
Officer Kim Shaw

4. Election of Officers.

5. Approval of Minutes.
a. February 23, 2010 Board Meeting.

6. Mr. Gary White, City Auditor.
a. Monthly Status Report.
b. General Discussion.

7. Councilwoman Cathy Jolly - Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods.

8. CIMO Report.
Mr. Eric Bosch

9. Ms. I. Pearl Fain – Office of Community Complaints.
a. General Discussion.


10. Chief James D. Corwin.
a. Public Safety Sales Tax Renewal.
b. General Discussion.

11. Deputy Chief Nick Nichols – Executive Officer. a. Monthly Report OCC Investigations.
b. Focus Groups Related to Citizen Satisfaction.
c. General Discussion.

12. Deputy Chief Cyril Ritter – Patrol Bureau.
a. Crime Summary
b. Performance Report.
c. General Discussion.

13. Deputy Chief Kevin Masters – Investigations Bureau.
a. Arrest Summary.
b. Homicide Quarterly.
c. General Discussion.

14. Deputy Chief Rachel Whipple – Administration Bureau.
a. Personnel Summary.
b. General Discussion.

15. Deputy Chief Darryl Forte´ – Executive Services Bureau.
a. Bid No. 2009-11, Ammunition/Munitions Renewal.
b. Bid No. 2010-10, Ford Parts and Accessories.
c. FY10 Traffic Services Grants Reduction.
d. Budget Transfers for Fiscal Year 2009-10.
e. Budget Summary Report for the Month of February.
f. Jail Consolidation.

16. Director Rick Brisbin – Professional Development and Research Bureau.

a. Project #136, Revision of Procedural Instruction, Risk Management Team.
b. Proposed Procedural Instruction, Red File Targets.
c. Project #44, Revision of Procedural Instruction, Ambulance Calls and Arrests Taken to Hospitals.
d. General Discussion.

17. Mr. Daniel J. Haus, Office of General Counsel.

18. Public Comments*

19. Audit Committee Update.


20. Scheduled Meetings:

Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
9:00 a.m., 6th Floor, Board Room

Business Session:

Thursday, April 8, 2010
8:30 a.m., 6th Floor, Board Room

21. Ms. Mischa Buford Epps.

22. Chief James D. Corwin.

23. Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

24. Commissioner Patrick McInerney

25. Commissioner James B. Wilson.

26. Commissioner Karl Zobrist.

27. Commissioner Mark C. Thompson.

28. Motion to go into Closed Session.

29. Informational Items:
a. Crime Comparisons per Division
b. February 2010 News Coverage.
c. Academy Campus Usage Report.
d. KCPD Grant Summary 03/09/2010.
e. Status of Public Safety Sales Tax at the end of February.
f. Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee Report.


*The Board will hear Public Comments between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. unless other matters are required to be considered at that time. Anyone wanting to speak during the Public Comment portion of the meeting is requested to sign in on the “Public Comment Sign-In Sheet” located at the Board room entrance. The Board will hear from members of the public in the order in which they sign the “Public Comment Sign-In Sheet.”

Reward for information leading to capture of serial rapist up to $15,000

An additional $3,000 has been added to the reward fund to capture a serial rapist who has struck five times in the Waldo and Brookside areas from September 2009 to February 2010. The total reward now stands at $15,000. The recent donations to the fund came from the Waldo Area Business Association, Armour Hills Neighborhood Association and Vetta Studio 213.

Police have received nearly 800 tips on this case to date and encourage you to call the Crimestoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) if you have any information you think could help solve the case. You can also submit tips electronically at www.KCcrimestoppers.com or by texting "TIP452" and your information to CRIMES (274637). You could be eligible for $15,000 in reward money.

Additional reward donations can be made to the Waldo Reward Fund at any UMB Bank.

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We're experiencing some technical difficulties...

12:30 UPDATE: We're back online!
___________________________________________

12:15 UPDATE: Well, it's unfortunately taking longer than 5 minutes. Stay tuned.
___________________________________________

I just wanted to warn everyone that the KCPD web site (http://www.kcpd.org/) will be going down at noon today, hopefully for just 5 minutes. We're currently unable to update the page and are working out some problems and will reboot everything at noon. There's a possiblity it will be down for longer than five minutes, and if that's the case, we'll let you know.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Police investigating two overnight homicides

Kansas City police are investigating two homicides that took place overnight. The first took place at 12:42 a.m. near 57th and Highland. Officers were dispatched to 57th & Wayne but found 25-year-old Antonio Foreman (pictured above) lying on the ground suffering from an apparent gunshout wound in the 5700 block of Higland. Freeman died several hours later at a local hospital.

Less than half an hour later at 1:06 a.m., officers were called to the 7-11 at 8105 E. Bannister Road on a shooting. They saw the store clerk, 35-year-old Gurpreet Singh, lying on the floor with an apparent gunshot wound. Singh told them a suspect entered the 7-11 and demanded money. Singh gave the suspect money, then the suspect pulled out a small handgun and shot Singh. Singh was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. The entire incident was recorded on 7-11's video surveillance system. Police are seeking information on three individuals captured in the video:

1.) The black male suspect, wearing a black, hooded coat or sweatshirt

2.) A black male in a dark coat with a white T-shirt underneath standing with the suspect

3.) A black female in a white shirt standing near the store's door.

If you have any information on either case, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Police to shut down roads for St. Patrick's Day parade

PRESS RELEASE:

Several road closures will take place tomorrow to accommodate the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade that Kansas City drivers need to be aware of.

The actual parade will begin at Linwood and Broadway and go south on Broadway to 43rd Street. Police will block Broadway from 31st Street to 47th Street from 10 a.m. to approximately 2 p.m. Roads will reopen from north to south as the parade progresses.

Some roads will close earlier, however, to accommodate the parade’s staging area. Closures beginning at 8 a.m. include: Linwood between Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, and Broadway between 31st and 33rd streets. Police suggest Main Street and Southwest Trafficway as alternate routes.

Parking also will be prohibited on Broadway from 31st to 47th streets, and “Emergency No Parking” signs will be in place.

Information about parking and bus routes for the parade is available at www.kcirishparade.com.

Kansas City Police participate in teen seat belt enforcement

PRESS RELEASE:

The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department is joining with several other law enforcement agencies this week for an aggressive “Operation Safe Teen” seat belt mobilization to crack down on Missouri’s seat belt law violators in an effort to reduce traffic fatalities.

Nearly one in four Missourians still fail to regularly wear their seat belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Teens are even less likely to wear their seat belts with only 61% regularly buckling up.

“Nearly every day someone dies in a crash in Missouri because they weren’t using their seat belt, and the statistics for teens involved in crashes are even more alarming than those for adults.” said Sgt. Grant Ruark of the Traffic Enforcement Unit. “Eight out of ten people killed in traffic crashes are unbuckled. Consistent safety belt use is the single most effective way for vehicle occupants to protect themselves from being injured or killed in a crash. We encourage people to buckle up and ‘Arrive Alive.’

For information on Missouri seat belt usage, visit www.saveMOlives.com.

Victims of fatal fires identified

Two people died in Kansas City fires in two days. Today, the victims have been identified.

Just after noon on March 14, Kansas City firefighters responded to an apartment fire at 4020 Mill St. The woman who died in that incident has been identified as 86-year-old Consuela Rangel.

Then about 3 a.m. March 15, the KCFD responded to a home at 2859 Oakley St., where they found 10-month-old Deanna Lockhart dead inside.

Please make sure your home has working smoke dectectors, and change the batteries in those detectors every six months.

Officer struck by drunken driver

Few things in police work are ever “routine.” Something as normal as a traffic stop can turn into a life-or-death situation in an instant. (This happened last fall in south Kansas City). Once again, a police car dashcam captured one of these frightening moments, and the video is above (there is audio).

It was a little after 3:45 a.m. Friday, March 12. A sergeant had pulled over a drunk driver at 83rd and Troost, and other officers came on scene to help with the arrest. A 24-year-old officer was standing next to the driver’s door of the drunk man’s car beginning to take an inventory of the vehicle when they heard squealing tires, and another car driven by an intoxicated woman slammed into the first car, which slammed into the officer. You can see him being thrown to the pavement. It was an incredibly scary moment, but fortunately, the officer suffered only bumps and bruises to his right leg. He was taken to a hospital as a precaution but was released soon afterward.

This is yet another example of the dangers officers face every day and how dangerous drunk driving is for everyone on the road.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Serial rapist is not in custody

We have received several calls over the past few days from people who heard we’ve arrested the suspect in the Waldo-area serial rapes. Unfortunately, this is only a rumor. We have not arrested anyone in connection with the serial rapist case. We are still following hundreds of leads and doing everything we can to get an arrest as soon as possible.

However, in the course of this investigation, detectives have questioned some people about their possible involvement in the rape cases, only to discover they were wanted on other crimes or involved in other criminal activity. We have arrested those people for those unrelated crimes and are pursuing charges against them.

Believe me, we will be the first ones to tell you when the rape suspect is in custody. In the mean time, if you have information in the case, call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS or the Sex Crimes Section at 816-234-5220.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

KCPD Spanish students volunteer under-cover

PRESS RELEASE:

On their spring break from a 10-week Spanish Immersion program, 19 Kansas City police officers are clandestinely volunteering in schools and community centers with large Spanish-speaking populations this week.

This is the fourth year of KCPD’s Spanish Immersion program – a course that puts about 20 officers through the equivalent of four semesters of college-level Spanish in 10 weeks. The course is housed at Swinney Elementary School, 1106 W. 47th St. The class is intended to equip police with the ability to communicate with Kansas City’s ever-growing Spanish-speaking population. At the conclusion of the course, the top five officers in the class will be selected to continue their immersion in Morelia, Mexico, for five weeks.

This week, March 8-12, is spring break for officers in the course, but instead of relaxing, they have chosen to volunteer at Kansas City schools and community centers with high Spanish-speaking populations. However, the students and many of the community members they’re volunteering with don’t know they are police officers. They have been introduced simply as community volunteers who are learning to speak Spanish. Today, March 12, the officers will show up at their volunteer sites in uniform and reveal their true identity.

Officer Lynda Hacker, Spanish Immersion program coordinator, said the purpose of the under-cover volunteering is to build trust between the Spanish-speaking community and police.

“When we did this last year, one little boy said he never liked police before, but he does now,” Officer Hacker said.

At schools, the officers are assigned to one classroom and will stay with that same class the entire week and assist with everything from reading to recess. They’ll also be practicing their Spanish. At community centers, they’ll volunteer wherever there is need. The volunteer sites include:

Garcia Elementary School – 1000 W. 17th St.
Our Lady of Angels School – 4232 Mercier St.
St. Stephen’s Academy – 1001 Bennington Ave.
Our Lady of Guadalupe School – 2310 Madison Ave.
Alta Vista Charter High School – 1722 Holly St.
Don Bosco Senior Center – 580 Campbell St.
Guadalupe Centers, Inc. – 1015 Avenida Cesar E. Chavez

Police seek missing woman

UPDATE: Victoria Irons has been located in California and was transported to a mental health facility there.

Police are looking for 39-year-old Victoria E. Irons, who was last seen in the area of 24th and Charlotte Streets yesterday, March 10. Her family is concerned for her well-being because she suffers from mental illness. If you know where Victoria Irons is, please call the KCPD Missing Persons Section at 816-234-5136.

Answers to some questions raised in ongoing serial rapist investigation

Police continue to expand their investigation of the man who has sexually assaulted five women in the Waldo and Brookside areas since last fall. To accommodate the ever-growing operation, the whole investigation was moved out of the Sex Crimes offices here in Headquarters to the City’s Emergency Operations Center. We're now working 733 tips that have been submitted as of today.

An investigation of this size is bound to bring a lot of scrutiny. A few points to make:

First, detectives have talked to literally hundreds of people in this case. That does not mean the people they interview are considered suspects, persons of interest or anything of the sort. It is their duty to track down every lead they find, and they wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t.

Second, in the course of this investigation and many others like it, police have asked the people they’ve interviewed if they’d like to give a voluntary DNA sample. This is a DNA buccal swab, obtained by swabbing the inside of someone’s cheek with a swab like a Q-Tip to obtain cheek – or buccal – cells for comparative DNA analysis. It’s simple and non-invasive. This is a very standard, routine, investigative procedure. We ask many of the people we interview in most sex crimes and homicide cases if they’d like to give a DNA sample, often to eliminate them as a possible suspect.

And finally, a word about the composite sketch. When we first released it, we put out this disclaimer:

A composite is not a portrait of one person, but a grouping of characteristics to put people into a category that narrows the search and eliminates other groups. It is intended to place the focus on a smaller grouping of individuals.

That is very true. The sketch is not intended to be a picture of the suspect. It’s to put together all the things we know of what the suspect looks like into one place. So please keep that in mind any time you see the picture. And if you have any information that could solve this case, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) or the Sex Crimes Section at 816-234-5220.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Police seek teen charged in double-fatality wreck

Victoria K. Johnson, 17, has been charged with manslaughter relating back to a crash that occurred Sept. 30, 2009, at 41st and Prospect, and police are trying to find her. In that wreck, she struck a beer truck on Prospect just north of 41st Street, killing a teenage girl and an infant. Johnson was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the crash.

If you know where Victoria Johnson is, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Trial started today for man who assaulted police dog

MARCH 10 UPDATE: A jury found Manning guilty on all counts yesterday. His sentencing date is pending.

Trial started at 9 a.m. today in Jackson County Circuit Court for 34-year-old Marlyn Q. Manning. This is meaningful to us because Manning is charged with not only felony burglary but also assault on a police animal.

At 10:28 p.m. June 2, 2008, police received a call about prowlers in the 10 block of West 79^th Terrace. Officers actually saw the suspect – later discovered to be Manning – breaking out a home’s window and attempting to climb inside. When Manning saw the officers, he took off running. The officers on scene could not catch up with him, so they called in back up, the police helicopter and a canine unit to find the suspect. The canine officer and his dog, a Czechoslovakian Shepherd named Soty (pictured above), quickly tracked Manning down behind a building. But despite commands from the officer, Manning kept running, so the officer sent Soty to stop him.

Soty caught up and latched onto Manning, stopping him for officers to arrest. But instead of giving up, Manning proceeded to hit and kick the dog. Despite this, Soty continued to hold onto Manning until officers could place him in handcuffs. Soty’s human partner, Officer David Magruder, said he could tell the next day how sore the dog was from the assault.

Soty is a tough dog. In November 2004, a suspect was attacking Officer Magruder, and Soty came in to stop him. The suspect bit Soty, prompting a trip to the emergency vet and some time off to recover. In June 2007, Soty found a man who shot a KCPD officer and physically pulled him out from under a car in a garage. That capture was broadcast nationally on the TV show “COPS.”

But as tough a dog as he is, Soty got hurt when Manning attacked him. Soty retired last May and is now living the good life at home with Officer Magruder and his family, but he deserves justice like any other police officer assaulted in the line of duty.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Reward increases in case of arson/homicide

A friend of Henry Scott IV has donated $1,000 to help find his killer. The total reward in the case now stands at $2,000.

On Feb. 25, 2010, Kansas City firefighters worked to put out a house fire at 4441 Wayne. After the fire was out, they found Scott's body in a bedroom. The Jackson County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Downtown road closures for Big 12 Tournament start tomorrow

Grand Boulevard from 13th Street to Truman Road and 14th Street from Main Street to Grand will temporarily close from 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 9, until midnight on Saturday, March 12, to accommodate the Big 12 Men's and Women's basketball tournaments. During the street closures, downtown drivers who are not going to the tournament should use Oak Street, Holmes Road and Charlotte Street on the east side of downtown and Main and Broadway west of downtown. Go to the City's web site for more information.

KCPD officer earns big military honor

Though he hasn't told many people, one of our officers was recently named the U.S. Air Force's national Airman of the Year by the Reserve Officers Association. Below is the story of Officer Jacob Barlow, who works the overnight shift at Central Patrol Division (He's pictured above with his award, and the photo is courtesy of the Reserve Officers Assocation):

Officer Jacob Barlow almost missed his big moment.

On Feb. 9, he was to be named Reserve Airman of the Year at the Reserve Officers Association (ROA) annual conference in Washington, D.C. But the event happened to take place in the middle of what ROA Spokesman David Small called “the big snowpocalypse,” when 3 feet of snow fell. After three delayed flights, Officer Barlow ended up arriving a few minutes late to his big night and barely made it for his award presentation. He wasn’t upset, though.

“I was ecstatic about it,” said Officer Barlow, who works Watch I at Central Patrol Division. In the United States Air Force Reserves, he’s also known as Senior Airman Barlow.

Officer Barlow’s honor is a big one. He’s now one of only four reservists in the nation who can wear the Air Force Recognition Ribbon. The other three are at least three ranks higher than him. He was nominated for the award by his command and was up against all other U.S. individual reservists assigned to active-duty programs.

When he received notification of the award in November, he initially thought it was for making it past the lowest level of the contest.

“Then my wife looked at it and said, ‘It says something about D.C. This is it! You won the national award!’”

Senior Airman/Officer Barlow is an intelligence analyst assigned to USSTRATCOM’s Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike. He enlisted in the Air Force in 2002, and his first assignment after graduating with honors from basic and intelligence training was in the intelligence section of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Force Base in Italy. He was then reassigned to support F-16s in the 555th Fighter Squadron and was named 2004 Operations Group Airman of the Year. The next year, he served as an intelligence analyst at the Anti-Terrorism Force Protection cell. After a stop at the 479th Expeditionary Wing in Al Udeid, Qatar, Barlow returned to the States.

He left active military duty in January 2007 to join the Kansas City Police Department, where his father, Dale Barlow, is a retired major. Officer Barlow said it had been his plan all along to spend four years in the military, then join KCPD. But he remained as an Air Force reservist and was deployed to Iraq from March to October 2009. Officer Barlow learned that he had been selected as Airman of the Year right after he got home last fall.

Officer Barlow is back on duty with KCPD but heads to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska every few months to put in his Reserve time. He said he didn’t tell many of his fellow police officers that he’s the best Air Force reservist in the country, despite military bigwigs at the award ceremony urging him to brag about the prestigious recognition.

At only 27 years old, he’s also earned the Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal and Air & Space Campaign Medal. He’s studying for a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement intelligence from American Military University.

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Victim of deadly stabbing identified

At 1:17 a.m. today, March 5, officers were dispatched to the 5300 block of Paseo on a cutting.

The victim and suspect were arguing when the suspect stabbed the victim. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he died hours later. The victim has been identified as 37-year-old Joseph L. Wilson of Kansas City, Mo.

The suspect was taken into custody at the scene.

Wilson's is Kansas City's 15th homicide of 2010 compared to 18 at this date in 2009 and 19 in 2008.

Tip A Cop tomorrow and help Missouri Special Olympics

PRESS RELEASE:

Kansas City area residents can enjoy a delicious breakfast delivered by a police officer and support Missouri Special Olympics at the same time with Saturday’s Tip-A-Cop event at metro Corner Café restaurants.

More than 40 police officers will be at three Corner Café restaurants in Riverside, Kansas City North and Independence from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. Instead of their usual job of fighting crime, the off-duty, uniformed officers will be taking orders, serving food, cleaning tables and assisting the regular wait staff at each location.

At the end of each customer’s meal, officers will encourage diners to tip their “real” waiter or waitress first and then ask them if they’d like to make a donation to Special Olympics, the charity of choice for law enforcement nationwide.

Last year’s Tip-A-Cop raised $3,000 for Missouri Special Olympics at just the Riverside Corner Café location. Thanks to the generosity of Corner Café, this year’s event expands to all three of their locations and will include not only Kansas City and Riverside police but also officers from Independence and Liberty police departments.

This year’s Tip-A-Cop Corner Café locations are:

Riverside, Mo.: 4541 NW Gateway Ave.

Kansas City: 8301 N. Flintlock Rd.

Independence, Mo.: 4215 S. Little Blue Parkway

Motorcycle officer who was hit yesterday recovering but not seriously injured

As many of you heard on the news yesterday, one of our motorcycle officers was injured when he was struck by a van on 670. At 12:43 p.m. Wednesday, the officer - a 15-year KCPD veteran - was traveling east on 670 when a van on his right suddenly came over into the officer's lane trying to get on northbound Interstate 35. The van clipped the front of the officer's bike, and he went down and was ejected from the motorcycle. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. The driver who hit him stayed at the scene and cooperated with police. Multiple witnesses also pulled over and stayed at the scene while police investigated.

The latest update on the officer's condition is that he's still in the hospital recuperating, but fortunately, his injuries aren't nearly as serious as they could have been. He has a broken bone in his hand and many bumps, bruises and scrapes. He and all of us here at KCPD appreciate the concern so many of you have expressed.

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Reward fund in serial rapist case doubles

A generous anonymous donor has stepped forward with $6,000 to double the reward fund in the case of the Waldo-area serial rapist to $12,000.

Additional reward donations in the case can be made to the Waldo Reward Fund at any UMB Bank.

TIPS Hotline call-takers encourage callers to provide specific information in their tips regarding possible suspect names, addresses, or specific vehicle and license plate information.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers Greater Kansas City TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477), TIPS may also be submitted electronically at KCcrimestoppers.com, or by texting TIP452 and your information to 274637 (CRIMES). Information leading to an arrest in the case could be eligible for up to $12,000.00 in reward money.

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Latest update on the serial rapist case in Waldo/Brookside

I wanted to give you the latest update on the case of the serial rapist who has attacked five women in and around the Waldo area of town since last fall. The last attack was Feb. 22 near 69th and Oak streets. To date, we have received 590 tips that our detectives are investigating. More detectives have been added to work on this case full time for a total of 16, as well as three sergeants. Two officers on limited duty because of injuries have been assigned to the Sex Crimes Section to take phone call tips. Many are being referred from the TIPS Hotline because these tipsters don’t want to remain anonymous. They want to tell police who they are and everything they know. You can submit tips either way – calling 816-474-TIPS or Sex Crimes at 816-234-5220.

Police continue to offer personal safety classes. The next one is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 15, at the Central Patrol Division at 1200 Linwood. Because of the small meeting location, only eight spots are still available. To claim one, e-mail Master Patrol Officer James Schriever at james.schriever@kcpd.org. Officer Schriever said if that class fills up, he’ll schedule another class. Last week alone, 225 people attended KCPD’s safety classes. That’s compared to two people in the same week last year.

Finally, there has been a lot of racial tension involved in this case. Rumors have flown around on social networking sites and in e-mails regarding possible suspects. Yes, the suspect in this case is a black male, but that does not mean every black man who frequents the Waldo area should be treated as a suspect. People should familiarize themselves with the information available and look for suspicious behavior that matches the information, not just skin color.

And remember, the descriptions victims have given police of the suspect include some very distinguishing features like pitted cheeks, a bald head and a 6-feet, 250-pound frame. They also said he has a deep, smooth voice. One said he smelled like smoke, and another said he smelled like exhaust fumes.

Stay tuned to this blog for more updates on the case.

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New Metro Patrol station garners praise

The Kansas City Star's Steve Penn wrote a great column today about our new Metro Patrol Division. The station is at 77th and Prospect (the site of the old Fairyland Park amusement park) and is set to open in May. It's a vast improvement over the current station on 63rd Street, and we can't wait to put it to good use for the city. Be sure also to check out the photo gallery to see what the new station looks like. Information about the station's grand-opening ceremony should be coming soon.

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Police seek mentally ill man missing since Feb. 26

MARCH 3 UPDATE: Simon Montoya has been located at an area hospital.

Kansas City Police are looking for Simon J. Montoya, who has been missing since Friday. Montoya is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 166 pounds. He is a white male with brown hair and hazel eyes, and he may have shaved off his eyebrows. He was last seen leaving 107 N. Gladstone Blvd. on Feb. 26. At that time, he was wearing a black coat and jeans. Montoya is schizophrenic and off of his medication. His family is concerned for his safety. If you know where Simon Montoya is, tell him to contact family members or the Missing Persons Unit at 816-234-5136.

Kansas City's top 20 crash sites of 2009

Last week, our Board of Police Commissioners was presented with Kansas City's 2009 traffic statistics. A particularly interesting one was the top crash locations of the year. They're spread out across the city (and remember, these are only for Kansas City, Mo., proper), but I-435 & I-70 was the clear leader. Please use extra caution when you're in one of the areas mentioned below:

LOCATION	TOTAL CRASHES
1. I-435 & I-70	107
2. I-435 & Front St.	75
3. I-29 & Barry Road	64
4. 75th St. & 71 Highway	63
5. 5th St. & Broadway	61
6. Gregory & 71 Highway	59
7. 152 Highway & Flintlock	56
8. I-435 & Holmes	56
9. I-435 & 23rd St.	56
10. 55th St. & 71 Highway	55
11. Bannister Rd. & 71 Hwy	53
12. I-435 & Wornall	50
13. 71 Hwy & Red Bridge Rd.	47
14. I-35 & Front Street	47
15. I-435 & 87th St.	46
16. I-470 & Blue Ridge	46
17. 155th St. & 71 Highway	46
18. I-35 & I-70	42
19. I-435 & 71 Highway	40
20. I-435 & Bannister Rd.	39

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