KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The shooting Saturday morning in Westport has caused Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas to highlight security protocols in the district.
Over the past couple years, there have been several efforts to turn the tide of crime. In 2018, the district implemented security checkpoints at all the entrances in the heart of the district. The checkpoints had metal detectors and would only be used on Friday and Saturday nights from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. between the months of April and October.
The cost of the security measures was more than $122,000 for the 2018 season.
But this solution wasn't available for this deadly shooting because it happened when the security protocols weren't around.
The Westport officials Regional Business League issued a statement Saturday afternoon regarding the shooting.
"There are no words to express our sadness about an incident like this in our city," the statement read. "While the incident occurred outside where enhanced screening is performed, the screenings are not conducted in the wintertime, when outdoor crowds are typically smaller. The screenings will resume in the spring."
Lucas responded to this shooting before this morning's budget meeting with the public.
"In Westport, we tried some, we vacated the sidewalks, we come up with a crime fighting strategy, we continue to try and have more law enforcement officers there and frankly that's not enough," Lucas said.
All options to stop this from happening again are on the table, according to Lucas.
"When I see something like the shooting last night in Westport, particularly when Westport has been a little safer last summer, I'm incredibly frustrated," Lucas said. "We need to make sure every district in our city is safe right now, we're not able to do that."
Lucas said he will meet with the Westport Regional Business League to find a way to stop this from happening.
The city council did approve the security measures for this coming year, which will start in April.
