You may have heard that Chief Corwin is out sick for a few days, so I – Deputy Chief Cy Ritter – will be posting in his absence. We wish Chief a speedy recovery.
This year more than any in recent memory, we’ve received a lot of phone calls from parents concerned about their kids’ safety as they head back to school. Most of those calls have involved bus stops, but there have been other concerns, as well. Today is the second day of school for the Kansas City Missouri School District, which has undergone a lot of changes. Schools have closed and combined, and younger children are now at bus stops earlier. I want to assure you we’ve been responsive to those changes.
Our Special Operations Division officers are focusing on school zones before and after school to stop speeders and others driving dangerously. On their way to the school zones, they’re stopping by school bus stops and checking on students’ safety. Speaking of bus stops, all patrol officers have been ordered to monitor them before and after school when they’re not responding to 911 calls. These operations are in place at all schools in Kansas City, Mo. – including those north of the River, private schools and those in the Southland.
To address some of the issues specific to the reorganization of the Kansas City School District, police have been meeting with principals throughout the summer to determine what kind of police presence would be necessary at schools. Based on this, we realigned our school resource officers in high schools: there are now two at Southwest, two at Central and two at Northeast. Patrol officers also are paying more attention to schools that have been combined. South Patrol Division, for instance, has made it a special project to ensure the safety of students at the combined Hickman Mills/Ruskin High School.
For the first time this year, we’ve assigned our Mounted Patrol officers to patrol school areas, and we’ve asked all patrol division commanders to pick a school each day to visit and introduce themselves at. Community Interaction Officers also are speaking to community groups about school safety and passing out packets with more information.
Things seem to be going smoothly thus far, and we ask parents to continue to work with their children and schools to provide a safe environment for learning as this school year moves forward.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Man shot in car Monday dies
At about 3:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30, police were called to Swope Parkway and Woodland Avenue on a shooting. Upon arrival, they found 19-year-old Terrence Barkley was located in a dark red Chevy Malibu suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital in critical condition and died this morning. Witnesses say occupants of a white Lincoln Continental were observed shooting at the victim’s vehicle near Swope Parkway and Cleveland Avenue. There are no suspects in custody and anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477).
Escaped sex offender caught after trying to license a car
At 1:46 p.m. today, Kansas City Police and the FBI Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force captured George Dudley, a sexual predator who escaped from a Wyandotte County Courthouse yesterday. Police tracked him down at a convenience store. Just down the street at Truman and Bales, they discovered he had just purchased a green Ford Taurus at a used car dealership. Dudley told the dealership staff he needed a temporary tag and was planning to drive to Kentucky. The staff pointed him toward the license bureau at Independence and Sterling and later told police about their contact with Dudley. Sure enough, officers found him in the DMV parking lot with three other people in the car - two homeless men and a man with a Kentucky parole violation. Police took Dudley and the parole violator into custody without incident.
Monday, August 30, 2010
K2 is now illegal in Missouri
As of Saturday, Aug. 28, the substance popularly known as K2 became illegal in Missouri, under House Bill 1472. Missouri is the fifth state in the nation to make the sale or possession of K2 illegal. K2 is a mixture of dried herbs that is sprayed with a synthetic substance similar to the active ingredient in marijuana. Our Crime Lab is working now to develop a field test for it.
The penalties for selling or possessing K2 are now the same as selling or possessing marijuana - a class A misdemeanor for possessing less than 35 grams (punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine); or a Class C felony for possession of 35 grams or more (punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine).
The law adds K2 to a list of controlled substances under Schedule 1, which are "classified as having a high potential for abuse and having no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or lacking accepted safe use in treatment under medical supervision," according to state statute.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org
The penalties for selling or possessing K2 are now the same as selling or possessing marijuana - a class A misdemeanor for possessing less than 35 grams (punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine); or a Class C felony for possession of 35 grams or more (punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine).
The law adds K2 to a list of controlled substances under Schedule 1, which are "classified as having a high potential for abuse and having no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or lacking accepted safe use in treatment under medical supervision," according to state statute.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org
Friday, August 27, 2010
Feedback from Citizen Satisfaction Survey Helps KCPD Improve Services
The Kansas City Missouri Police Department began a new initiative a year and a half ago to promote open communication between the police and residents and to get feedback on our services.
We asked the commanders at each of the patrol divisions to follow up with surveys after police officers respond to calls. They created their own surveys and conducted a random sampling.
Residents really appreciate the follow-up, and the majority of people surveyed give us positive feedback—regardless if they are the victim or the suspect. In the last 60 days, we surveyed 797 incidents and of those, 97.5 percent were positive. For example, one resident told the commander that the response time of the KCPD was outstanding and they believe it prevented a shooting. Another resident (who happened to be a suspect in a crime) was surveyed and said he wasn’t happy about being arrested but was pleased with the way he was treated.
This was a new experience for both our commanders and residents. For years, the culture at the police department was focused more on crime prevention than on citizen satisfaction. Many residents were surprised when the police called them to ask if they were satisfied with our services.
Our goal is to have 100 percent follow up on all property crimes and domestic violence incidents and we get closer to that goal each month.
It has helped change the culture of the department and make us more focused on community satisfaction. Thanks to honest feedback from residents, we’re providing better service and I know that we’ll continue to see improvement.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.
We asked the commanders at each of the patrol divisions to follow up with surveys after police officers respond to calls. They created their own surveys and conducted a random sampling.
Residents really appreciate the follow-up, and the majority of people surveyed give us positive feedback—regardless if they are the victim or the suspect. In the last 60 days, we surveyed 797 incidents and of those, 97.5 percent were positive. For example, one resident told the commander that the response time of the KCPD was outstanding and they believe it prevented a shooting. Another resident (who happened to be a suspect in a crime) was surveyed and said he wasn’t happy about being arrested but was pleased with the way he was treated.
This was a new experience for both our commanders and residents. For years, the culture at the police department was focused more on crime prevention than on citizen satisfaction. Many residents were surprised when the police called them to ask if they were satisfied with our services.
Our goal is to have 100 percent follow up on all property crimes and domestic violence incidents and we get closer to that goal each month.
It has helped change the culture of the department and make us more focused on community satisfaction. Thanks to honest feedback from residents, we’re providing better service and I know that we’ll continue to see improvement.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Officers have knack for catching burglars in the act
In one week, Officers Rick Hulme and Daniel Quiles interrupted three burglaries in progress and arrested five suspects.
Their streak started on January 22, 2010, at a vacant hotel in the 7900 block of East 40 Highway. They saw a truck backed up to the hotel’s maintenance doors. As they approached, they saw a man start running. Officer Hulme took off after him while Officer Quiles went after a man who’d gone running in another direction. The officers got both of the suspects into custody and discovered they’d broken into the hotel and had stripped a significant amount of copper power lines out of the building, causing significant damage. The owner of the building wanted to prosecute, and both suspects were charged.
Six days later on January 28, 2010, Officers Hulme and Quiles were dispatched to 31st and Bellefontaine about a business burglary in progress. They arrived quickly but kept quiet so as not to scare off any potential suspects. They found a truck backed through a roll-up garage door on the front of a tire store. They asked for additional officers and then approached the garage door. They surprised two suspects who were attempting to steal and load a new engine into the bed of their truck. They took the suspects into custody without incident.
The very next day, January 29, 2010, Officers Hulme and Quiles saw a pending call for service in the 5100 block of Raytown Road about another potential non-residential burglary in progress. They started heading that way before being dispatched. They met with the manager of Croft Trailers who said he’d received an alarm call, and the building had been broken into before. The officers found a point of entry for suspects and requested a canine unit to help search the building because it was so large. A short time after a canine officer and dog arrived, the suspect fled from the building on foot and was taken into custody by Officer Quiles and his supervisor.
Sergeant Scott Simons said Officers Hulme and Quiles “have seemed to develop a knack for interrupting burglaries in progress.” In the seven months before this January 2010 streak, they’d interrupted and made arrests in four other burglaries.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Enroll now for the fall 2010 Kansas City Missouri Citizens Police Academy
UPDATE, Sept. 2: The fall 2010 session of the KCPD Citizens Police Academy is full. Thanks for your interest! Another session will take place in spring 2011, and we'll announce it here.
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The next course of the KCPD Citizens Police Academy begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Kansas City Regional Police Academy, 6885 N.E. Pleasant Valley Road. This free class meets for 10 weeks, three hours each Thursday night, and explains how KCPD works. Participants also take field trips to places like the Helicopter and Canine Units, Bomb and Arson Unit and the Kansas City Regional Crime Laboratory. Experienced police officers and instructors offer briefings, demonstrations, and engage in frank discussions about police operations with class participants. All participants also will go on a ride-along with a patrol officer.
Topics covered during the Citizens Police Academy include overviews of our department structure, information on police recruiting and training and hands-on workshops in various areas. Some of the areas explored include:
Accident Investigation
Bomb & Arson
Criminal Investigations
Firearms Training
Helicopter Unit
Homicide
Hostage Negotiation
K-9 Unit
Narcotics Investigations
Police Dispatch - 911 Service
Tactical Response Teams
Vice Investigations
The Citizens Police Academy operates on the premise that informed, educated residents will be more supportive of police officers and promote safety in their communities. Admission to the program is open to anyone 18 or older who lives or works in Kansas City, Mo., has good standing in the community and can pass a criminal background investigation.
Click here for more information, and here for the application.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org
__________________________________________________
The next course of the KCPD Citizens Police Academy begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Kansas City Regional Police Academy, 6885 N.E. Pleasant Valley Road. This free class meets for 10 weeks, three hours each Thursday night, and explains how KCPD works. Participants also take field trips to places like the Helicopter and Canine Units, Bomb and Arson Unit and the Kansas City Regional Crime Laboratory. Experienced police officers and instructors offer briefings, demonstrations, and engage in frank discussions about police operations with class participants. All participants also will go on a ride-along with a patrol officer.
Topics covered during the Citizens Police Academy include overviews of our department structure, information on police recruiting and training and hands-on workshops in various areas. Some of the areas explored include:
Accident Investigation
Bomb & Arson
Criminal Investigations
Firearms Training
Helicopter Unit
Homicide
Hostage Negotiation
K-9 Unit
Narcotics Investigations
Police Dispatch - 911 Service
Tactical Response Teams
Vice Investigations
The Citizens Police Academy operates on the premise that informed, educated residents will be more supportive of police officers and promote safety in their communities. Admission to the program is open to anyone 18 or older who lives or works in Kansas City, Mo., has good standing in the community and can pass a criminal background investigation.
Click here for more information, and here for the application.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org
Monday, August 23, 2010
Thank you, City Council, for putting sales tax continuation on November ballot
We want to take this opportunity to thank the Kansas City Council for unanimously voting to put the extension of the public safety sales tax on the November 2 ballot. Through the leadership of Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee Chair Cathy Jolly, the Council recognized the capital projects and technology the police department needs to fight crime more effectively. As Councilwoman Jolly said, “These projects will make a tangible difference in public safety in our city.”
Some of the projects to be included in the tax include new East and North patrol division stations, a new crime lab, new helicopters, a new radio system, new vehicles and technology that will push us further and further into intelligence-based policing. In addition to police needs, the tax will fund modernization of the city’s ambulance fleet and emergency operations costs like tornado sirens.
The Council approved putting a 15-year extension of the quarter-cent sales tax on the ballot. They also approved a funding mechanism, general obligation bonds, to move construction projects forward as soon as possible.
Since 2002, this public safety tax has funded a sixth patrol division station – Shoal Creek Patrol – to serve the ever-growing Northland population; a new police academy to create better trained officers; a new Metro Patrol Division Station to replace the small, crumbling structure on 63rd Street; and new South Patrol and Special Operations Division Stations, which are being designed now. I thank the taxpayers for their graciousness in approving this tax eight years ago, and I thank the City Council for once again giving Kansas City residents the opportunity to show their support of high-quality public safety in their community.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org
Some of the projects to be included in the tax include new East and North patrol division stations, a new crime lab, new helicopters, a new radio system, new vehicles and technology that will push us further and further into intelligence-based policing. In addition to police needs, the tax will fund modernization of the city’s ambulance fleet and emergency operations costs like tornado sirens.
The Council approved putting a 15-year extension of the quarter-cent sales tax on the ballot. They also approved a funding mechanism, general obligation bonds, to move construction projects forward as soon as possible.
Since 2002, this public safety tax has funded a sixth patrol division station – Shoal Creek Patrol – to serve the ever-growing Northland population; a new police academy to create better trained officers; a new Metro Patrol Division Station to replace the small, crumbling structure on 63rd Street; and new South Patrol and Special Operations Division Stations, which are being designed now. I thank the taxpayers for their graciousness in approving this tax eight years ago, and I thank the City Council for once again giving Kansas City residents the opportunity to show their support of high-quality public safety in their community.
Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org
Friday, August 20, 2010
Second Narcotics and Vice Quarterly newsletter discusses PCP, gang initiatives
The Narcotics and Vice Division has produced the second edition of their new newsletter, Narcotics and Vice Quarterly. This one covers April through June 2010 and includes stories about the increased amounts of PCP officers are seeing, a busted drug trafficking ring and illegal party houses. It also has statistics about how many arrests the Division has made, how many search warrants they've served, and how much drugs, money and guns they have recovered.
If you suspect narcotics activity in your neighborhood, call 816-474-DRUG.
If you suspect narcotics activity in your neighborhood, call 816-474-DRUG.
DUI laws get tougher amid enforcement crack down Aug. 20 - Sept. 6
Kansas City Police are joining law enforcement agencies around the state and nation for a crack down on drunk driving Aug. 20 through Sept. 6, but state law is going to change right in the middle of this enforcement effort that will make drunk driving more costly than ever before.
On August 28, Missouri’s new Driving While Intoxicated legislation takes effect. This law does several things, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) Division of Highway Safety. It will:
• Increase jail time for repeat DWI offenders and those with higher blood alcohol levels (0.15 percent or more – a fifth of those arrested for DWI in Kansas City in the first six months of 2010 fell into this category)
• Move more cases from municipal courts to state courts, where penalties can be tougher
• Mandate better record-keeping for DWI cases so that repeat offenders can be properly tracked; and
• Offer offenders opportunities to participate in a DWI court program that incorporates treatment and close monitoring instead of going to jail.
So if you’re caught driving intoxicated, you’ll be more likely to face charges in state court and more likely to go to jail, especially if it’s a repeat offense and/or your blood alcohol level is above 0.15 percent.
Beginning today, Kansas City Police will be conducting saturation patrols (wolf packs), sobriety checkpoints and taking other initiatives to really crack down on intoxicated drivers. Law enforcement agencies nationwide will be doing the same. This special enforcement effort lasts until Sept. 6, but police are always on the look-out for impaired drivers who can harm others or themselves. With this new law, it could cost you more than ever before, so please designate a sober driver.
On August 28, Missouri’s new Driving While Intoxicated legislation takes effect. This law does several things, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) Division of Highway Safety. It will:
• Increase jail time for repeat DWI offenders and those with higher blood alcohol levels (0.15 percent or more – a fifth of those arrested for DWI in Kansas City in the first six months of 2010 fell into this category)
• Move more cases from municipal courts to state courts, where penalties can be tougher
• Mandate better record-keeping for DWI cases so that repeat offenders can be properly tracked; and
• Offer offenders opportunities to participate in a DWI court program that incorporates treatment and close monitoring instead of going to jail.
So if you’re caught driving intoxicated, you’ll be more likely to face charges in state court and more likely to go to jail, especially if it’s a repeat offense and/or your blood alcohol level is above 0.15 percent.
Beginning today, Kansas City Police will be conducting saturation patrols (wolf packs), sobriety checkpoints and taking other initiatives to really crack down on intoxicated drivers. Law enforcement agencies nationwide will be doing the same. This special enforcement effort lasts until Sept. 6, but police are always on the look-out for impaired drivers who can harm others or themselves. With this new law, it could cost you more than ever before, so please designate a sober driver.
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