KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City is the recipient of a two-year $500,000 federal grant aimed to reduce and solve non-fatal shootings in the city, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker and Police Chief Stacey Graves announced Friday.
In an effort to combat high rates of non-fatal shootings, Kansas City, Missouri, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kansas City Police Department worked together to draft the grant and propose the initiative, dubbed the "A-Team." Only a few cities across the country were awarded the grant.
“This is the same type of collaboration that once reduced our violence levels to historic lows,” said Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker in a press release. “These funds will be a foundation for a new partnership to address the too-high violence in our community.”
Reported non-fatal shootings in Kansas City have recently decreased slightly, according to a press release, but Kansas City sees an average of 500 non-fatal shootings each year.
As part of requirements for the grant, KCMO participated in the federal Public Safety Partnership program, which was created to help cities dealing with high rates of serious violent crimes.
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