On the Plaza, we'll engage at the level necessary to prevent crime

You might have heard about an incident on the Plaza this weekend in which young people were destructive to property. The situation on the Plaza is not unique to the current teenage generation, nor are the issues unique to Kansas City. In 1983, I recall the street dance era when many African-American youth visited the Plaza on the weekend to participate in the break dance craze or to watch the talented dancers. African-American youth were not welcome on the Plaza then, and the police were not shy about expressing that we were not welcome. When I was 21 years old, a police officer approached a friend and me to tell us that we were not welcome on the Plaza, and he asked us to leave. We questioned him about his desire for us to leave and he responded by grabbing me by the shirt, which resulted in my button being pulled off. I remembered his name.

Upon joining the police department, I met the officer. He was very stern in his communication to others and was respected by his peers. That’s changing. The KCPD is making great strides with building and nurturing relationships in other segments of the community and will continue to do so.

Today's method of policing on the Plaza is based on respect, with less emphasis on enforcement than in decades past. Officers, both on duty and those working off-duty security for the Plaza, have shown a great deal of respect and patience for the youth who visit the Plaza. As I have communicated previously, everyone is welcome to enjoy all parts of our city. All I and others ask is that everyone – old and young alike – adhere to the laws and be respectful of themselves and others. We will not tolerate behavior that jeopardizes safety or behavior that involves any type of destruction of property. Patience and understanding will be shown to everyone, and a zero-tolerance strategy will not be deployed. There is no reason to punish the law-abiding majority for the negative actions of the minority. Those who enjoy the Plaza will dictate our response – we will engage at the level necessary to prevent crime and to keep everyone safe.

For the parents, guardians and others who are concerned, please help us keep our kids safe by setting a positive example, speaking encouraging words and by explaining why it is important to be good citizens. Also, please share curfew times and guidelines with those who are impacted by them.

Mayor Sly James and I regularly discuss Plaza-related issues and often times discuss how we might better provide opportunities for our youth. During the school year, we encourage young people to focus on their school work, be part of school-related activities, join a mentoring program or even get an after-school job. In the summer, the Mayor's Nights and Club KC are several venues where our youth can have fun in safe environments. The time is approaching for the commencement of the Mayor's Night athletic programs and Club KC. The programs begin on May 23, continuing through August 15. Last year, juvenile crime decreased by 18 percent while Club KC was in session. Let's try and show a greater decrease this year.

As a reminder, individuals age 17 and younger are subject to an 11 p.m. curfew on weeknights and a midnight curfew on weekends up until the Friday before Memorial Day. From the Friday of Memorial Day weekend until the last Sunday in September, the curfew is set at 10 p.m. for minors 15 and younger. For minors ages 16 and 17, the curfew is set at 11 p.m. in most parts of the City.

The City’s five entertainment districts -- the Plaza, Westport, Downtown/Central Business District, 18th and Vine, and Zona Rosa -- have a special curfew during those summer months that requires anyone under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian after 9 p.m. during those summer months.

Thank you, Kansas City, for being such a great city, and let us continue to keep our city safe, vibrant and inviting!

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org

We'll do our part to address Plaza issues; the rest is up to you

When large groups of unruly young people gather on the Country Club Plaza and incite disorder, police are the ones who are called in to resolve the situation. But this is not solely a police issue. It’s a community issue, and we need the support of the community to solve it. We are going to be taking stronger action than before, but all the police work in the world won’t provide safe gathering places and fun activities for teens. Nor can it suddenly convince parents of these young people that their lack of supervision is unacceptable.

First, there is nothing wrong with children younger than 18 enjoying the amenities our city offers. They are as entitled as anyone else to stroll through our entertainment districts. Those young people who are well behaved, appropriately supervised and act within the law are not my concern. It is the few who incite violence, intimidate others, impede traffic and violate other laws who will be the focus of police attention.

We will be assigning additional officers to the Country Club Plaza on upcoming weekends.  Some will be in uniform, and some will be working under-cover. We will enforce ordinance violations. This means we will arrest and detain juveniles who are breaking the law. No longer will we give numerous warnings. Young people breaking the law will be cited and apprehended, and their parents or guardians must come to our holding area in order for them to be released from custody.  Their parents need to know about their behavior and know that we will be holding them responsible for it. Parents need to know it is unacceptable to let their unsupervised children wander the city.

So expect to see increased numbers of arrests in entertainment districts. At this time, the Country Club Plaza has been the only district at which problems have arisen. If issues pop up elsewhere, we will take the same actions there. 

We are working to address any possible issues at the movie theater, where much of the disorder tends to begin. We also have met with Plaza Security and Highwoods Corporation, which manages the Plaza, to discuss the best approaches for keeping order. Rita Valenciano, a U.S. Department of Justice Conciliation Specialist, will be serving as a mediator between Cinemark Theater, Highwoods and young people to resolve the issues that are arising.

But here’s where the rest of the community comes in. City Councilman John Sharp was correct when he said there are no longer many entertainment outlets for youth in the urban core. We were all teenagers once, and most of us just wanted to go hang out with our friends somewhere on weekends and have fun. Today’s young people want that, too, and we can work together to provide that for them.  Several already are stepping up.

Kansas City Parks and Recreation has agreed to open up the Brush Creek Community Center from 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays to give young people an entertainment option. We will provide security there. The KCATA will be providing free bus rides for teens from the Plaza to the Community Center (but not the other way around) for the next two weekends.  Local church leaders also are working on coming up with activities for youth.

This is where we need you. We can lament the disorder and espouse negativity. Or we can do something about it. We’re asking you, businesses and organizations of Kansas City, to step up and provide an alternative for these young people. Would your company sponsor a night of fun for youth? Would your church be willing to organize activities? Would your civic group be able to provide access to a fun and safe place? We’re open to suggestions. A free movie or concert.  Karaoke. A sports tournament. A game night. A dance party. Anything where young people will want to gather with their friends and enjoy themselves. Parks and Recreation is able to provide much of this during the summer, but recent incidents have made it clear these outlets for our city’s young people are needed year-round.

The police department is committed to addressing the issues of young people causing disorder on the Country Club Plaza. We can’t provide other entertainment venues for them, however. But many of you can. Ideally, there would be so many other enticing options for teens that they won’t want to just mull around the Plaza.

I pledge to do whatever we can from a public safety perspective to make the Plaza a safe and enjoyable destination for everyone. The rest is up to you.

Send comments to kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org