Local leaders gather as violence surges across the Kansas City metro

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas posted this weekend about discussions he’s been having over the last week to reduce violence and crime in Kansas City.

Mayor Lucas said he and other city leaders met with KCPD this week to discuss several issues, including street racing and a string of break-ins that impacted local businesses from Brookside to the Crossroads.

Another topic was violence prevention efforts in a southeast Kansas City neighborhood where the community is pushing for change after a food truck operator was killed in a shooting .

On Sunday evening, community leaders, KCPD officers, members of the Tri-Blenheim Neighborhood Association and others met near Prospect and 70th. They walked the neighborhood where a 31-year-old food truck operator was shot and killed in the early morning hours of August 5th when a street party turned violent. Their goal was to increase safety and prevent violence in the area.

“We wanted to come out and kind of canvass the crowd, you know, listen to people, tell them what we expect. You come in the neighborhood, respect the space, and be respectful; that’s the main thing,” said Charles Kennedy, the president of the Tri Blenheim Neighborhood Association.

“Everybody wants to come out and have a good time. There’s a way to do it, and guns have no place out here.”

On Wednesday afternoon, community members and business owners met with KCPD officers at the Metro Patrol Station to discuss concerns and push for change following last weekend’s block party that turned deadly.

“It’s a result of a meeting we had last Wednesday to come out and show support for the neighborhood, and, you know, a little protection is also good,” Kennedy explained.

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