With KC's 2020 homicide increase below national average and clearance rates above, KCPD works to buck violent crime trends

Kansas City, Mo., was, tragically, part of a national trend that saw a large increase in homicides in 2020. The KCPD, however, is doing everything to buck those trends. Our homicide rate dropped significantly in the fall, and our clearance rate for 2020 was well above the national average.

Not all the national data from 2020 have been compiled yet, but FBI statistics from the first nine months show that homicides were up 20.9 percent in America. In the nation’s 69 largest cities, homicides through Sept. 30, 2020, were up by 28.7%, according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Kansas City recorded 148 homicides in 2019 and 176 in 2020. That’s a 19% increase, which was below the national average in increased homicides. (Although right now the national average is composed of just the first nine months of 2020.)  

But all the numbers do not ease the grief of anyone who lost a loved one to violence, and 2020 was, indeed, a record-setting homicide year in our city. That’s why we undertook many initiatives to combat the violence, such as assigning additional homicide and assault detectives and Operation LeGend – a 10-week influx of nearly 200 federal agents to help us solve violent crime cases and get the most violent offenders into custody.

Homicides fell significantly after Operation LeGend, which ran from mid-July to mid-September. You can see the monthly rate of homicides this year compared to the average over the past five years. We cannot definitively say Operation LeGend was the cause, but there was correlation. Before Operation LeGend, we were on pace to have more than 200 homicides in 2020.

We also worked diligently to get justice for those who were killed. Based on the FBI’s Uniform Crime Rate (UCR) standard, our homicide clearance rate for 2020 was 73%. That’s up significantly from 2019, when it was 55%. The FBI reported that the national average homicide clearance rate was 61.4% in 2019, the most recent data available. It typically hovers in the low 60s. Despite a higher workload, our investigators were able to bring justice to the loved ones of 128 victims in 2020.

Our clearance rates go against national trends recently noted in the Wall Street Journal, showing that police in the United States have been clearing fewer murders during the pandemic.

Despite being below the national average for homicide increases, the increase was nonetheless devastating for our community. We had 1- and 4-year-old murder victims. Fathers, sons, brothers, mothers, sisters and daughters lost their lives to senseless violence, inflicting untold trauma on families.

The men and women of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, alongside our community, local, state and federal partners, will do everything we can to prevent and solve these crimes. Operation LeGend left us with additional federal resources to stop gun crimes and more. As always, police cannot succeed in a vacuum, so we need the help of residents to make their neighborhoods safer. If you know something that can help us solve or prevent a violent crime, let the TIPS Hotline know at 816-474-TIPS (8477). You could even earn a $25,000 cash reward and stay anonymous.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Police remain busy in Kansas City despite stay-at-home order

We’ve received a lot of inquiries about how all the changes in our society to stop the spread of the coronavirus are impacting crime in Kansas City. Other cities have seen crime fall across the board, but in Kansas City, it has been mixed.

First, I’d like to thank everyone in Kansas City who have been adhering to the stay-at-home order. We’re finding that the vast majority of people are abiding by it, which should help us flatten the curve and defeat this pandemic more quickly. It’s also helping keep us – your first responders – healthy and able to serve.

We need officers out on the street because violent crime here has not changed much with social distancing measures or the stay-at-home order. In the two weeks before the stay-at-home order, March 10-13, we had six homicides. We’ve had seven homicides in the two weeks since, March 24-April 6. Aggravated assaults increased from 61 in the two weeks before the order to 68 in the two weeks after the order.

As many expected, domestic violence assaults have increased a bit. If you are in an unsafe situation at home, please call 816-HOTLINE, which will connect you to domestic violence advocates in the Kansas City area. Domestic violence shelters and prevention agencies are still operating and providing services.

Below is a chart showing some major categories of violent crime in Kansas City so far this year and how the numbers have changed as COVID-19 spread and residents started staying home.

By contrast, many of our property crimes have fallen off. We attribute this to more people at home keeping an eye on their belongings all day. We’ve seen the largest decreases in crime in the categories of thefts from vehicles, stolen cars and shoplifting (mainly because most retailers are closed). Here is the chart showing our property crime trends for the first three months of 2020:

Overall, our calls for service have seen little change. Below are March numbers from last year compared to this year:  

	March 2019	March 2020	Difference
Calls received	78,399	77,128	-2%

The main goal of police is to keep you safe, which is why were are focusing our traffic enforcement efforts on reducing the excessive speed that has arisen with fewer cars on the road. Traffic officers are saying speeds are much higher than normal. They issued some of the following tickets last week:

* 123 mph in a 65 at 435/Wornall
* 79 in a 35 on Independence Ave.
* 76 in a 45 on Chouteau Bridge
* 133 in a 55 on I-29/Waukomis
* 86 in a 55 on 71 Hwy/31st St.

Again, this is why you'll still see us enforcing speed limits. From March 16-30, our injury crashes were up by 43% compared to the same time period last year. Officers are doing everything possible to reduce contact on these stops and are sanitizing before and after each one, as well as wearing masks.

I have no doubt this pandemic will continue to reshape our city in the short and long term, but looking at the numbers, the workload of police in Kansas City has remained pretty consistent. No matter what happens, KCPD will continue to respond to community needs. 

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Traffic tickets, race and the facts

The Kansas City Star recently published an article and editorial about the racial breakdown in traffic tickets in Kansas City, Mo. First and foremost, I want to be clear that we welcome public scrutiny. We want to hear from the people we serve about what they think we’re doing well and what we can improve upon. We’re also constantly analyzing data to see where we need improvement, additional training and/or amendments to our policies and procedures.

Numerically, whites received more traffic tickets in 2017 in Kansas City, Mo. But proportional to their population, yes, African-Americans received more tickets. That’s something we continually evaluate and use that analysis to deploy our resources. This disparity is not just an issue with Kansas City but with police departments around the country.

In their story, The Star sorted their ticket data by the zip code of where the person receiving the ticket lives, not where the tickets were issued. The zip code of where the ticket is issued is not recorded on most police citations – just the address – so they can’t be sorted that way. (So we could issue a ticket to someone by KCI who lives in the 64130 zip code, but we wouldn’t know that at the time of the stop.) We’re not sure of the methodology the Star reporters used to analyze the data in their Sunday article, but I would be happy to share our data on tickets issued by race in 2017. This was pulled from our e-ticketing system:

Total citations: 115,134

Tickets by race
African-American – 41,961
White – 43,801
American Indian or Alaskan Native – 66
Asian or Pacific Islander – 758
Unknown – 2,074

The remaining 26,474 tickets were parking tickets. When those are issued, we don’t know the race of the person receiving the ticket.

KCPD also captures data about whether officers knew the race of the driver prior to stopping a car. This is not required data, but we think it’s important. Our data shows that officers did not know the race of the driver they had stopped when they pulled the vehicle over 98.6 percent of the time. Think about it – an officer clocks a car speeding from a quarter-mile away – he or she has no chance to see the driver.

Even so, we would expect higher ticket numbers to be issued in the areas of the urban core most impacted by violent crime in 2017. Interim Chief David Zimmerman deployed Traffic Enforcement crews to several zones along the Prospect Avenue Corridor to combat spiking violent crime, homicides and traffic fatalities. We experienced 99 traffic fatalities in 2017, the most since 1980. Interim Chief Zimmerman explained this in a blog at the time we started the initiative. The zones were determined by a well-known intelligence-led policing strategy called DDACTS – Data-Driven Approach to Crime and Traffic Safety. Those zones were in the zip codes cited in the Star’s article as having the highest numbers of residents receiving tickets. We would expect them to because we increased police presence there to combat violent crime and make it safer for residents. More officers in the area led to more officers to see traffic violations. (Traffic fatalities are at 25 year-to-date, compared to 34 at this time last year.)

It’s something of a Catch-22. With violent crime spiking, police were accused of not doing enough. Then we deployed extra resources to areas experiencing the most violence, and now we’re accused of “over-policing,” as you’ll see in inquiries from the Star reporter below.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Municipal Court data cited in the Star's article is not the same as stop data. We rely on the stop data we compile for the Missouri Attorney General to help us identify any potential bias and to address it in our training. That actually shows us how many drivers of every race we pull over. Our 2017 stop data will post on the Attorney General’s web site no later than June 1. Feel free to check out our 2016 data. Our disparity index for African-Americans is lower than the rest of the state. We continually review this rate against other departments and against our own department over prior years.

Despite the Star article’s focus on the fines and warrants that arise from Municipal Court, there was no description of Municipal/Traffic Court procedures, no statement from a judge, and no comment from a neutral attorney or public defender. There was no mention of the Court’s warrant amnesty days, payment plans, or diversion opportunities. Much can be resolved simply by residents showing up to court. I highly encourage anyone struggling with traffic fines and warrants to contact the court to see how the issues can be resolved.

Finally, I’d like to address how this article played out from our end, and why the Star’s statement that we provided no comment is false.

The Star first contacted Media Unit commander and public information officer Captain Lionel Colón by e-mail at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 15. The reporter stated they’d gotten statistics (they did not say from where), and then asked these questions:

“1. Why are African Americans being assigned tickets at such a disproportionate rate?
2. Why does the 64130 zip code account for such a disproportionate amount of tickets?
3. Some have interpreted this data as demonstrating a pattern of ‘over-policing’ and targeting of AA motorists by the KCPD. What is the department's response to that?”

Captain Colón responded early the next morning asking what the data were so we could review it in order to properly answer their questions. The Star declined to provide the data, other than directing us to public information from Municipal Court. They refused to say with whom they worked at Municipal Court to obtain the data or what kind of dataset they’d requested. Captain Colón said it would be irresponsible for him to speak to the data without seeing it.

Over the next few days, we worked to try to extract our own ticket data from 2017 by race and set up an appointment with leaders at Municipal Court to compare. Captain Colón maintained daily e-mail contact with the Star during that time.

On Friday, May 18, we told the reporter that since we could not see the data the Star used to make responsible and informed comments, we were working to pull the data ourselves. We told him there were several other large-scale public information requests that had been submitted previously from other organizations that – to be fair to everyone – needed to be addressed first. The reporter responded that it was too late, anyway, and the article would run on Sunday. The Star then reported that KCPD declined to comment, which is false. We requested the Star correct their statement, “Police did not respond to the Star’s request for comments to this article,” and they declined. Daily e-mail conversation between KCPD and reporters and editors is not a “no comment” situation. “No comment” is not a response that we give. Sometimes we have to protect the integrity of an investigation and can’t say much, and other times – as is the case here – we need more time to review a large amount of information (that wasn’t even made available to us for review). Just to pull that information ourselves took more time than the Star allotted us for making a statement on it.

In summary, the Star reporters gave the police department 2.5 days to respond to reams of data they wouldn’t show us. Members of the Star have had the opportunity to review this data since February 2018, according to Municipal Court.

Again, we welcome scrutiny. We are accountable to the people of Kansas City. Some examples of how we hold ourselves accountable are the racial stop data we provide to the Missouri Attorney General and the monthly reports on crime and police activity we deliver publicly to the Board of Police Commissioners. We are obliged to provide fair police service to everyone, and we strive to do that every day. We also have an obligation and responsibility to address crime and provide public safety, which includes enforcement. So we welcome scrutiny, but the KCPD and the people of Kansas City deserve to have an authentic and informed discussion on this topic. 

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org. 

Gunfire continues trending downward in ShotSpotter areas

We began using the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system in October 2012, and it has continued to bring about positive results. The system monitors 3.5 square miles of the urban core that historically have had a high incidence of gunfire. We recently received data from SST Inc. (ShotSpotter’s parent company) to indicate a significant reduction of gunfire in those areas from 2013 to 2014.

Kansas City experienced a 15 percent reduction in gunfire incidents in 2014 compared to 2013. You might recall that there was a 26 percent reduction from the first half of 2013 to 2014. The latest data show the decrease continues, and that means our residents are safer.

SST Inc.’s studies have shown that as much as 80 percent of illegal gunfire goes unreported. Thanks to ShotSpotter, our officers have been able to respond to and make arrests in shootings that police might otherwise never have known about. On average, our officers respond to at least four ShotSpotter calls every day.

So why are the incidents of gunfire trending downward in these neighborhoods? There are many reasons, but I believe the primary one is community engagement. Sadly, hearing frequent gunfire had become common in these areas. Residents didn’t report it because they were scared or thought police wouldn’t do anything about it. Now they see that we are doing something about it, and we are here to make their block safe again. When we show up at these shots fired calls now, people come out of their homes to ask us what is going on. They are learning that we will be there and they can talk to us.

The ShotSpotter Flex system from SST Inc. is a partnership between the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), with federal funding for the project secured by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. The $720,000 grant funds five years of ShotSpotter service, equipment installation, and maintenance. As we come into year three of the service, we will continue to seek funding sources to keep ShotSpotter going and possibly expand it.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org. 

Crime continues to trend downward in Kansas City

The statistics that will be presented to our Board of Police Commissioners tomorrow continue to show a significant decrease in crime compared to last year. These are above and have been certified by the state of Missouri for submission to the FBI (that process takes some time, which is why these numbers are through the end of July).

As of this morning, homicides are down by 31.5 percent compared to last year. In fact, this is the first significant reduction in homicides in the last 50 years. There are many things to which I could credit this, and I don’t claim to know all the reasons, but some of them are increased community cooperation with police, more neighborhoods that are refusing to tolerate crime, the Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA), and the work our officers are doing every day to build trust and fight crime.

Take, for example, the work of our Violent Crimes Enforcement Unit. They are the enforcement arm of KC NoVA. Their job is to go after those who are at the nexus of violent criminal networks. So far this year, they have recovered 119 guns that were possessed illegally. They’ve also made 38 arrests for felons in possession of firearms (which carries a minimum federal prison sentence of five years with no parole) and 16 arrests for other federal firearm violations. They’ve also arrested 322 people wanted on state-level warrants and another 188 who were under investigation for serious (usually violent) crimes.

Crime is down in Kansas City, but it certainly is not eliminated. We continue to rely on the community to assist us. This assistance comes in any number of ways – from mentoring at-risk children to calling the TIPS Hotline. Continued efforts like those will lead to further crime reductions and safer neighborhoods.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org 

Solving and preventing homicides calls for community cooperation

Today’s Kansas City Star features a front-page story about our department’s homicide clearance rate. The raw numbers show that we cleared 55 percent of the city’s 106 homicides in 2013, but the article does a good job of pointing out how nuanced of a number that is. According to federal reporting guidelines, for instance, we have a 69 percent clearance rate because we cleared 15 homicides in 2013 that happened in prior years.

We still have a lot of work to do in clearing homicide cases, but I am proud of the progress we’ve made. In 2010, we cleared just 42 percent of that year’s killings. Three years later, that rate is up to 55 percent. I expect those numbers to continue to climb. The single greatest factor in solving a homicide is community cooperation. As Homicide Sergeant Martin Cobbinah said so well in the Star article, “We rise or fall with their help. When we’re solving a lot of cases, it’s because we’re getting a lot of help from the community.”

I have made improving relations between police and the community one of my top priorities as Chief of Police. It works hand-in-hand with my other top priority: reducing violent crime. While 45 percent of 2013’s homicides are technically not cleared, our detectives know who the suspects are in the majority of them. But witnesses often won’t assist with prosecution. The more we get those witnesses – and the community as a whole – to trust us, the more cases get solved. We can eliminate the desire for vigilante justice that turns murder suspects into victims. When the community understands that police can help bring real justice, the needless tit-for-tat violence that endangers innocent bystanders will decline. We are working to bring that understanding through programs like the Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA). This program targets our city’s most violent offenders – the ones who insist on perpetuating this cycle of violence – for aggressive prosecution. For those less-violent offenders on the periphery, it offers them a way out through support and social services.

I often hear that police need to do something to prevent our city’s homicides. We are. Through initiatives like KC NoVA, Hot Spot policing, the Area Command Unit, the Lethality Assessment Protocol for domestic violence victims and even the Police Athletic League, we are working to reduce the violence.

But there are some murders we are helpless to stop. In many cases, the suspect and victim know each other, they get angry, and they use a gun to solve their problems. We can’t be there every time that happens. Fights that end people’s lives are over everything from drugs to small amounts of money to a perceived feeling of disrespect. Until a cultural change brings about a greater respect for life and a better way of solving problems and managing anger, many of these killings will continue, regardless of what police do. Again, this is where we need the community’s help. Parents, educators, churches, businesses, the criminal justice system and others must work together to instill these values in upcoming generations. Petty disagreements – even serious arguments – are not worth taking another’s life. There are far more effective ways of resolving problems.

As in so many other things in police work, the community is the key component to solving and preventing homicides. The members of this department and I look forward to helping you create a safer city.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

KC's homicide victims are getting older

The demographics of our city’s homicide victims are shifting this year. To date, Kansas City has had 66 homicides in 2013. Only 25 percent of those victims have been younger than 25. This is very unusual, as young, black men typically comprise the bulk of our homicide victims. Black men still make up 61 percent of this year’s homicide victims, but they’re older. Consider the following statistics from previous years about the percentage of homicide victims who were younger than 25:

•      41% in 2012
•          33% in 2011
•          48% in 2010

You can see the full break down of year-to-date homicide statistics here. I don’t have an explanation for why the city’s homicide victims are getting older, but I do have a little hope. My hope is the younger generation is beginning to turn the corner – that they’re valuing life more and staying away from the high-risk lifestyles that lead to violence. I also hope they’re learning to manage their anger better. Of the known motives for homicide this year and every year, arguments are No. 1.

I ask for the community to continue building up our city’s youth. We’re doing everything we can to reduce violence, but police can’t instill the value of human life in children. That’s up to parents, families, neighbors, and the faith community. Encourage them to solve their problems without guns, and direct them on paths that improve their city. Talk about how important education is. As these pieces fall into place, we will see not just the homicide rate for youth drop, but fewer slayings overall.

You can read more about this trend in this Kansas City Star article from last month.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.  

ShotSpotter is working, but community engagement is still key

Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and I announced the success achieved with the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system. ShotSpotter went live in Kansas City on Oct. 1, 2012. The system covers 3.5 square miles in the city’s urban core and alerts police to gunfire. You can learn more about how it works here.

Police have been dispatched to 977 shots fired alerts through the system in the last eight months. These have led officers to recover 342 shell casings, 96 live rounds and 13 firearms. They’ve made six felony arrests through ShotSpotter, three of which resulted in federal charges for felons in possession of firearms. And since ShotSpotter’s implementation, aggravated assaults with firearms have decreased by 24.6 percent in the covered areas.

One example of a ShotSpotter success story happened in December 2012. Officers responded to the area where ShotSpotter indicated a gun had been fired. They found a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Later investigation revealed the victim had been inside a stolen vehicle with another man who had shot him and fled. Police promptly located the vehicle and suspect. They found the firearm used in the shooting inside the car, as well as another stolen gun. The suspect gave a full confession and was charged with aggravated assault and armed criminal action. He was jailed in lieu of a $100,000 bond.

The detectives who worked that case believe that without ShotSpotter, police never would have been contacted. Because of the vehicle theft, they don’t think the victim would have reported being shot. But because of ShotSpotter, a man who tried to kill someone is off the street and being held accountable for his actions.

Another success story comes from an accumulation of gunfire data that ShotSpotter picked up on and KCPD intelligence analysts gathered. The system detected gunshots coming from the same address on multiple occasions. Police were able to use that data to obtain a search warrant for the house. Inside they found two illegally possessed firearms and the drug PCP. They were able to take suspects into custody.

But the real success of the ShotSpotter system isn’t in the statistics. It’s in the relationships it is helping to build. Sadly, hearing frequent gunfire has become a way of life in some neighborhoods. People didn’t report it because they were scared or felt police wouldn’t do anything about it. Now they see that we are doing something about it, and we are here to make their block safe again. When we show up at these shots fired calls now, people come out of their homes to ask us what is going on. They are learning that we will be there and they can talk to us. If police had been better engaged with the community over the years, we wouldn’t need ShotSpotter. We are working to repair that disconnect and engage the public once again.

We are not surprised by the effectiveness of ShotSpotter. The system was placed in the right areas of the city – those where violence had become too common of an occurrence. (We will not reveal where the system is located so we can stay several steps ahead of those who engage in criminal activity.) Given additional funding, we would love to expand the system in other areas.

But technology and police won’t solve everything. It’s up to community members to say they refuse to tolerate violence in their neighborhood.

And as we approach Independence Day, I wanted to let you know the ShotSpotter system can differentiate between fireworks and gunfire. Both are illegal in Kansas City. Police will be responding to these calls on the Fourth of July and every other day. And with ShotSpotter, the gunshot calls that might otherwise have gotten lost in fireworks noise will be clear, and police will respond to them promptly.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Change of rape definition will increase reports, encompass more victims

The year 2013 will bring a large increase in the number of reported rapes in Kansas City. This is not because more rapes will take place. It’s because the FBI has made a much-needed change to its Uniform Crime Reporting system that changes the definition of what rape is, rightfully encompassing many more victims of sexual assault.

Since 1927, the FBI has defined “forcible rape” as “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will.” The U.S. Department of Justice blog called this definition “outdated and narrow,” and we agree. It left no room for male victims or victims of sodomy. Our police department investigated these cases, but they never were included in the official rape statistics.

The new FBI definition of rape is: “The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”

All crimes that fall under the above definition began being counted as rape in Kansas City and throughout the nation on Jan. 1, 2013. So when this year comes to an end, and we compare its crime statistics to 2012, it likely will appear as though rapes increased drastically. While we can’t predict how many crimes will be committed, I want you to be aware that it is extremely unlikely rapes will double, as the numbers could appear.

Consider what it would look like if we had used the new rape definition in 2012. Through mid-November 2012 (we’re still finalizing more recent stats), Kansas City had 243 rapes according to the old rape definition. But under the new definition, the city had 558. The new definition simply includes all victims of sexual assault, as it should, and gives us a more accurate view of the extent of the crime in Kansas City. This will not change the the thorough manner in which we investigate any of these cases, just the way we report them.

The Justice Department blog also notes some other important changes the new definition creates:

"For the first time ever, the new definition includes any gender of victim and perpetrator, not just women being raped by men. It also recognizes that rape with an object can be as traumatic as penile/vaginal rape. This definition also includes instances in which the victim is unable to give consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.

"Furthermore, because many rapes are facilitated by drugs or alcohol, the new definition recognizes that a victim can be incapacitated and thus unable to consent because of ingestion of drugs or alcohol. Similarly, a victim may be legally incapable of consent because of age. The ability of the victim to give consent must be determined in accordance with individual state statutes. Physical resistance is not required on the part of the victim to demonstrate lack of consent."

We want you to be aware of these changes now so panic doesn’t arise this time next year when the numbers look much higher. We are pleased with the inclusivity of the new definition and all those who worked toward changing it, including victim advocates and several organizations of which I’m a member, like the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major City Chiefs and Police Executive Research Forum. It was high time we recognized all victims of this heinous crime.
  Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Progress in hot spots

A few months ago, there was concern that our homicide rate was out of control. If you look at our daily homicide analysis, you will see we have just four more homicides than at this time last year and are at or below where we were for the three years before that. Each of these killings is a tragedy, but I assure you that violence is not spiraling out of control. The murder rate in Kansas City has remained relatively constant for a number of years.

My No. 1 priority as chief has been to reduce violent crime. We have studied where crime is most likely to occur and have devoted a great deal of resources to those neighborhoods. About half of this year’s homicides have occurred in several defined areas or within a few blocks of them. Starting the first weekend of May, we pulled officers from all over the department to saturate these areas. Since that time, no killings have taken place in those communities with the exception of an officer-involved shooting.

We’ve also made a concentrated effort to get guns out of the hands of those who should not legally have them. Through the beginning of May, our Narcotics and Vice Division has recovered 208 percent more firearms than at this point last year. This includes 573 percent more assault weapons (74 vs. 11) and 131 percent more handguns (367 vs. 119) than at this point in 2011.

This enhanced enforcement activity has not led to the displacement of crime elsewhere. None of our data show that violence is moving to other areas.

The police cannot take all credit for this progress. The people living in these neighborhoods have really stepped up. They are cooperating with us more and are becoming less tolerant of crime where they live.

Enhanced cooperation between police and residents as well as more law enforcement resources in the areas that need them most means that summer – a time of typically higher violence – can be a time of peace and safety in Kansas City.


Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Narcotics and Vice Division successes

Our Narcotics and Vice Division had a very productive February getting drugs, guns and those who commit crimes involving the two off the streets. Consider these numbers comparing February 2012 with February 2011 and year-to-date figures for the first two months of the year:

	Feb. 2012	Feb. 2011	% Difference	2012 YTD	2011 YTD	% Difference
Narcotics-Related Arrests	190	72	164%	334	130	157%
Firearms Recovered	70	34	106%	96	66	45%
Search Warrants Served	101	35	189%	156	69	126%

These are just numbers from the Narcotics and Vice Division. The numbers from other elements in the police department are just as impressive. But the statistics aren’t what I care about. What we want are results from these statistics: reduced crime and a safer city. Fewer illegal firearms, less drugs and increased arrests of those who traffic in both are a good step toward that.

The detectives and officers of this department are working very hard toward a safer city, and they’re doing so more effectively. Another statistic shows how inter-department communication has increased. Other elements (such as the Violent Crimes Division) have reached out for support from the Narcotics and Vice Division on 105 percent more cases than they did in the first two months of last year. NVD has received 890 internal requests for investigative support so far in 2012 compared to 435 requests at this point in 2011. This shows we are using our resources more effectively and tackling violent crime from more than one angle.

The efforts of these detectives, officers, and the community have not gone unnoticed. Their contribution to reducing crime is appreciated and very much needed. A Communications Unit Supervisor informed me this weekend that we’d received six calls when one homicide occurred. That is unusual (sometimes we receive none) and brings hope that not only will that particular homicide be solved but that everyone is stepping up to make our city safer.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Annual report statistics show 12.5 percent drop in violent crime from 2009 to 2010

The KCPD 2010 Annual Report now is available for you to download in .pdf format. It contains information about the department’s organizational structure, 2010 crime statistics, personnel and salary statistics, department highlights and photos.

A big highlight is the drop in violent crime outlined on page 31 of the report. Our statistics, which have been verified by the state and FBI (in fact, several of our numbers are a little higher than the FBI's preliminary report because some of the cases got reclassified with further investigation, and we wanted to show as accurate a count as possible), show a 12.5 percent drop in violent crime from 2009 to 2010. Many people in Kansas City like to throw around words like the "City's rising crime rate," but it's simply not true. Crime has been falling in Kansas City since the early 1990s. Property crime remained nearly static from 2009 to 2010, with an increase of 0.1 percent. The only types of crimes that saw notable increases were arson and embezzlement.

These numbers are contrary to the scary rhetoric bandied about by those who seek to instill fear. I urge you to check out the report and see it for yourself. Kansas City is getting safer year after year.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Narcotics and Vice Quarterly has great information

Because of the kind of under-cover work they do, you typically don't hear very much from KCPD's Narcotics and Vice Division. But every day, they're out there fighting some of the most dangerous criminals in this city, breaking up drug-trafficking rings, fighting crimes like prostitution and illegal gambling and monitoring licensed businesses.

We've long wanted to convey to you what they're doing, and the new Narcotics & Vice Quarterly does just that. This newsletter not only has detailed statistics about where drug busts are taking place, how they're being prosecuted, and what kinds of drugs are most prevalent in Kansas City, it also includes articles about emerging trends in drugs and other illegal activity in the area. The newsletter will be produced quarterly. The first edition covers the first quarter of 2010, January 1 through March 31. The second issue is due out soon. Printed versions of the newsletters also will soon be available at patrol division stations and Headquarters.

Please take the time to read this newsletter. It has important information about a dangerous new way of making meth, potent drugs being marketed to children and illegal gambling machines in the reach of children at Kansas City convenience stores. Also be sure to check out all the ways you can reported suspected drug activity to the police department.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Fighting crime on Armour Boulevard

With the help of a determined assistant city prosecutor, we’re using a unique tool to fight crime in an area of town that needs some assistance. The Armour Boulevard Restriction Zone was established last year to keep habitual criminals out of the area roughly bounded by Walnut on the west, Paseo on the east, 33rd Street on the north and 37th Street on the south. The area has been a hotbed of criminal activity – there were six homicides in 2009 in this small zone. Police receive lots of calls there about narcotics, shootings, and quality of life issues.


Assistant City Prosecutor Todd Wilcher worked with us, municipal judges and the managers of several large, multi-unit, residential properties on Armour to create the Armour Boulevard Restriction Zone. It basically works like this: whenever anyone is cited with a city ordinance violation in this zone, Mr. Wilcher is notified. When the case is prosecuted, if the judge determines the offense is serious enough, the usual recommended sentence is two years’ probation. One of the defendant’s conditions of the probation is to stay out of the Armour Boulevard Restriction Zone. If they are seen there during the term of their probation, Wilcher will file a motion to revoke the probation, and they will go to jail for up to 180 days.

So far, four people have gone to jail on this program – one has served two stints – and stayed imprisoned for an extended period of time (at least 60 days each). Another 11 people are on the restriction list now. If community members, private security officers or police officers in the area spot them within the bounds of the zone, Todd Wilcher is notified immediately and begins work to revoke their probation. At their original court date, the defendants and their attorneys are all provided maps of exactly where they’re supposed to avoid, so there’s no question about it. Wilcher said none of them actually reside in the Restriction Zone.

Although it’s still a fairly new program, Wilcher and officers on the street are hearing good feedback from neighbors. It’s keeping out habitual troublemakers, and word is spreading among the criminal element that police and prosecutors aren’t playing around. They will go to jail and serve significant time if they’re spotted in the Zone. It’s a program that requires a lot of resources on behalf of the prosecutor, but it’s something we hope to see expanded to other troubled areas in the future.

In addition to this, the Missouri Housing Development Corporation allocated $75,000 for police officers to work off-duty security at three Armour Boulevard apartment buildings with a disproportionately high amount of criminal activity. These officers are now on site at these properties most of the day and night. We also are using a portable camera system to monitor activities on the streets from the Central Patrol Division Station. Tomorrow, I'll be posting some dramatic video of a shooting we captured on those cameras and how we used them to track to down the suspect.

We are very data-driven in our crime-fighting approaches, and the data was showing far too much crime in this small area along Armour. As you can see, we’re taking a number of steps and partnering with a number of stakeholders to attack problems where they arise. This is just one example of the way we’re using our resources, resources from the criminal justice system and concerned community members to reduce crime in Kansas City.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.

Police ask public to stop leaving cars running unattended to avoid theft

PRESS RELEASE:

Kansas City Police are asking residents to stop leaving their cars running unattended because it makes them an easy target for thieves.

From Nov. 1 to Dec. 18, 2009, one-fifth of cars stolen in the city had been left running unattended. The problem is the worst in the southern part of the city. Nearly 40 percent of stolen cars in the South Patrol Division were taken when they were left running unattended. In Metro Patrol, that number was about 28 percent. KCPD crime analysts believe those numbers are even higher because some victims are too embarrassed to report that they’d left their car running.

The bulk of the thefts happen when drivers leave their car warming up in their driveway, but many have happened at convenience stores. Victims think they can pop quickly into the store but then come out to find the car they left running stolen.

“We’ve come across some thieves who just wait outside convenience stores for someone to go inside and leave their car on,” said Sergeant Keith Ericsson of the East Patrol Property Crimes Section.

Detectives say that locking a running car is no protection from thieves – they can break the window out in seconds. Even newer cars with remote-start options are not safe at the hands of an experienced car thief.

Not only is leaving your car running unattended unwise, it’s illegal. City Ordinance 70-251 prohibits it and makes it punishable by a fine of $43.50.

The following table outlines how many cars have been stolen in each patrol division from Nov. 1 to Dec. 18, 2009, and how many were left running unattended, according to police reports:

	South Patrol	Metro Patrol	East Patrol	Central Patrol	Shoal Creek Patrol	North Patrol	TOTAL
Total cars stolen 11/1-12/18/09	46	60	141	111	37	28	423
Cars running unattended	18	17	24	18	3	4	84
Percent of stolen autos running unattended	39%	28%	17%	16%	8%	14%	20%

Homicide Quarterly Report

Our Third Quarterly Homicide Report is now online and ready for viewing. It's a very detailed statistical analysis of the 89 homicides we had in the first three quarters of this year - through Sept. 30. (We're at 104 homicides to date this year, compared to 122 this time last year).

The report contains statistics you would expect about things like gender and race of victims, but it has other information, too. Like that most murders this year have taken place on a Monday. Or that 75 percent of victims in 2009 have had a criminal record. It also includes detailed maps of aggravated assault hotspots and where homicides have taken place throughout the city.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Homicide update

We've got our daily homicide analysis back up on our web site, and you can see it here. Here is some of the basic information:

Year-to-date homicides:

2009 - 91
2008 - 109
2007 - 84
2006 - 78

2009 homicides cleared: 52 %
Ten cases are being reviewed at the prosecutor's office. If you include those, our 2009 homicide clearance rate is about 63 percent.

And here's a breakdown geographically by patrol division of homicides this year:

Central: 31
Metro: 22
East: 29 North: 0
South: 7
Shoal Creek: 2

If you know anything about any of these homicides, please call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

The latest 2009 homicide stats

I wanted to post an update on homicide statistics year to date. The good news is we have 12 fewer homicides than we did at this time in 2008. The bad news is that's far too many. It's 12 more than we had at this time in 2007 and 18 more than at this time in 2006. I can assure you that we are doing everything we can to keep this year's homicide count from rising any higher.

You can see the full summary here.

We have cleared 45 percent of this year's cases, and 11 are under review at the prosecutor's office. If you count those under review, our 2009 homicide clearance rate is 58 percent.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

2009 homicides by the numbers

We receive lots of requests for these numbers. These are Kansas City's homicide statistics as of 10 a.m. today. Click on the link to see the full report.

Total year-to-date homicides:
2009 - 80
2008 - 76
2007 - 65
2006 - 61

This year, 67 have been killed by guns, seven by stabbing, three by trauma, one by asphyxia and two by other means.

2009 homicide victims by race:
Black: 62
White: 13
Hispanic: 5

2009 homicide victims by age:
0-16: 8
17-24: 31
25-34: 19
35-44: 11
over 44: 11

2009 homicide victims by gender:
Male: 68
Female: 12

2009 homicide victims by patrol division:
Central: 27
Metro: 19
East: 26
North: 0
South: 6
Shoal Creek: 2

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

Overall year-to-date crime down 25% in last two years

This may surprise you, but year-to-date crime in Kansas City is down 25 percent from 2007. You read that right: crime has fallen 25 percent in the past two years.

You likely won’t hear that on the news. In fact, what you see and read every day would probably lead you to believe that crime is sky-rocketing. I will say that our homicide rate is unacceptably high, and we are fighting day and night to stop the killings. Many of them come from issues beyond police control, like poor anger management skills. (And oddly, 2007 had one of our lowest homicide rates this decade, but had much higher overall crime. I think we can conclude that the number of homicides does not reflect the overall crime picture.)

Aside from homicide, however, the only other category of crime that has increased in the past two years was arson, which was up 13 percent. Nearly all other crime categories have gone down by double-digit percentages:

Rape: -9%
Robbery: - 13%
Aggravated assault: -26%
Burglary: - 10%
Stealing ($200 and over): - 15%
Stealing (under $200): - 33%
Auto theft: - 40%

These stats cover June 2007 to June 2009 and are the Uniform Crime Report statistics that we submit to the State of Missouri. We are still processing the July information. You can see the full summary here.

This downward trend could be the result of a variety of factors, and I don’t claim to know all of them. I do know what our department has done. In 2008, the Metro Patrol Division started a special Property Crimes Task Force to combat auto thefts and burglaries in their division. That led to the arrest of several career thieves who are finally behind bars, reducing thefts all over the city. And as you can see, car thefts are down 40 percent.

In 2007, officers in the East Patrol Division received training and supplies to collect DNA at burglary scenes. This, too, has led to the arrest and incarceration of career criminals. We also have conducted numerous warrant sweeps, often in partnership with federal and other local law enforcement agencies. Last December, we fanned out in four target neighborhoods looking for and arresting those suspected to be involved in violent crime.

Without a doubt, Kansas City is a safer place now than it was just two years ago.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.