KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A group of Wyandotte County pastors and parishioners held a prayer vigil Tuesday night to support a violent crime reduction program.
Violent crime has plagued the county for decades.
KBI statistics show the county has the highest violent crime rate per capita of any county in Kansas
Violent deaths continue to hit home for many in the county.
"We had a nickname for him," said Itati Becerra, of the brother she lost to violence.
"Clutch," Becerra said. "So like every time we needed him he would always come in clutch. Just kind of like being there for you all the time."
His murder was a little over a year ago.
"It's almost like a void that fills in your life," she said.
The Kansas City Kansas Police Department reports violent crime is down this year.
A big key to a drop in crime is open communication between police and the community.
"We have talked to people throughout the community and all of our churches," said Bruce Draper with Churches United for Justice. "And violence is a number one issue that keeps people up at night."
The group has been pushing for implementation of a law-enforcement and reform program called Group Violence Intervention.
The program links violent criminals to resources to help them get out of "the life."
"Putting all of these pieces together and offering people who are in this lifestyle an opportunity to get out," Draper said. "A real opportunity to get out."
The violence intervention could help prevent more deaths,
"It really shows that us as a community are trying to come together to prevent this from happening again in the future," Becerra said.
