Here are some of my comments from today's press conference:
Reducing violent crime in our city has been my top priority since I became police chief in 2011. This year, we’re beginning to see some real impact from our efforts and the efforts of our partners and the community. Homicides are down by a third compared to where they have been for the past 50 years.
But the fact remains that consistently 80 to 90 percent of murders in this city are perpetrated with guns. Getting those guns out of the hands of people who should not legally possess them is one of our department’s top priorities. Legislation like Senate Bill 656, however, will make our job more difficult.
We need to maintain the freedom to police our city in the way that works best for our residents. Senate Bill 656 would ban any open carry ordinances, which Kansas City enacted at the end of July. An open carry ban works for a densely populated area like our city.
Allowing open carry would increase calls for service to police, which would affect our response time to other emergency calls. Police chiefs and leaders of cities and towns throughout Missouri should be allowed to decide what will most effectively keep their residents safe. Senate Bill 656 does not allow us to do what we believe is in the best interest of Kansas Citians.
Reducing violent crime in our city has been my top priority since I became police chief in 2011. This year, we’re beginning to see some real impact from our efforts and the efforts of our partners and the community. Homicides are down by a third compared to where they have been for the past 50 years.
But the fact remains that consistently 80 to 90 percent of murders in this city are perpetrated with guns. Getting those guns out of the hands of people who should not legally possess them is one of our department’s top priorities. Legislation like Senate Bill 656, however, will make our job more difficult.
We need to maintain the freedom to police our city in the way that works best for our residents. Senate Bill 656 would ban any open carry ordinances, which Kansas City enacted at the end of July. An open carry ban works for a densely populated area like our city.
Allowing open carry would increase calls for service to police, which would affect our response time to other emergency calls. Police chiefs and leaders of cities and towns throughout Missouri should be allowed to decide what will most effectively keep their residents safe. Senate Bill 656 does not allow us to do what we believe is in the best interest of Kansas Citians.
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