KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At Tuesday's Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners meeting, Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department Deputy Chief Joe Mabin outlined a plan to address property crime.
A group of seven officers will work mostly late-night shifts and target “hot spots.”
"Every business and every resident deserves to be safe in our city," KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas told members of the media following the meeting.
Sunday, KSHB 41 revisited Anchor Island Coffee at East 41st and Troost. The business has been a victim of numerous break-ins and property crimes in the past year.
"This area gets kind of like forgotten," explained co-owner Armando Vasquez. "This area is never touched."
Vasquez is a first-generation business owner in Kansas City and began working in the food service industry at age 19.
Since the first break-in, the memory remains present in his mind.
"It’s not what they take, it’s how it feels to come into your place and everything be destroyed," he said. "It gets to the point it gets to your head. Because after our third time, it’s like, what’s going to happen next?”
Following the BOPC's announcement to pilot a new patrol detail, KSHB 41 requested an interview with KCPD to discuss the program's objectives. KCPD did not make someone available for an interview on Sunday afternoon before the detail's evening launch.
However, a KCPD spokesperson answered questions via email, outlining what they could share about the new patrol unit.
KCPD said the squad will monitor areas outlined as "hot spots" from recent crime data trends. Officers chosen for specialized units must have three years of patrol experience, handling a wide variety of crimes.
Additionally, the spokesperson said the opportunity to work in specialized units can boost morale in the department, where officers can serve the public in different areas.
"The buck’s gotta stop somewhere," Mayor Lucas said Tuesday. "If you’re the mayor, the chief, the commissioners, councilperson, we all need to make sure we’re doing something about it.”
KCPD Chief Stacey Graves said at the meeting she felt the department's increased presence in the area had already deterred crime in "hot spots."
But she added, "I guess we’re going to have to adjust again.”
Vasquez reiterated his business feels forgotten in the South Hyde Park neighborhood. He and his business partner have contemplated moving their business elsewhere as safety remains top of mind.
"It has crossed our minds multiple times. It’s part of the deal now. It’s how things are getting," Vasquez said. “If they’re going to protect us, they’re going to protect us.”
While Lucas said he feels great things are happening in Kansas City, he is concerned businesses feel unsafe and are considering relocation.
"I have very real concerns," Lucas expressed. "I have concerns with residents who say ... they might have to leave a neighborhood because of too much stuff happening."
Anchor Island Coffee is approaching five years of business in Kansas City. Vasquez said the corner coffee shop has made it through tough times, surviving the pandemic and establishing themselves as a business.
Still, Vasquez and his business partner remain skeptical until change occurs.
"I’m not gonna believe it 'til I see it," Vasquez said.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
