KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike Schroeder, co-owner of Oddly Correct in Hyde Park, posted to his business’s Instagram stories last week after he said one of his employees was robbed at gunpoint.
The post tagged Mayor Quinton Lucas and the city of Kansas City, Missouri, saying, “We’re sick and tired of people being victimized in our city. What are you going to do about this unrelenting wave of violent crime in our city?”
“Our city” is something Schroeder takes to heart as a resident and business owner, which he said is the reason he took the call to social media in the first place.
“I think just frustration. Even apart from being a business, seeing how many people have been victims of violent crime even just this past summer," he said. "...It feels like someone needs to start saying they're upset."
Schroeder said he spoke for the employee because they were too shaken up.
While walking home one night, the employee was robbed of their prescription glasses, medications, money and ID. They were left physically unharmed, but Schroeder said the trauma has them afraid of walking and living in the area.
He added he learned one of his regular customers had also been a victim of violent crime.
A neighboring coffee shop, Anchor Island Coffee, was broken into last month. That wasn’t their first crime experience either.
The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department told KSHB 41 News they do not have anyone in custody yet for that break-in.
Schroeder said Oddly Correct moved from Westport to Hyde Park in 2021. In Westport, he said he gave his employees stun guns as a means of protection.
After they moved, their new neighborhood seemed pretty quiet. But Schroeder said this summer he has seen the crime increase past petty theft.
"Small, annoying things like things taken from our patio and stuff like that … that's going to happen, like that doesn't bother me,” Schroeder. said “But as someone who's trying to provide a safe place for both our customers and our employees, it upsets me that our people don't feel safe."
Schroeder said he doesn’t believe increasing police in the area will completely solve the crime problem. He wants the city to focus on prevention through resources for people dealing with substance abuse, poverty and homelessness.
“The things that are pushing people to places of desperation, where they're willing to harm another person,” Schroeder said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.