January 22, 2018, Special Meeting, Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission

Publish Date 01/22/2018

Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission
Board of Directors Meeting
January 22, 2018—12PM
UMB
1010 Grand Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64106

Directors in attendance:

Duane Anstaett

Victoria Barnard

Bill Chastain

Nancy Creasy

Carl DiCapo

Will Fox

Peter Greig

William Grojean

Dan Heckman

Rita Holmes-Bobo

Jon Jackson

Dave Johnson

Terry Kilroy

Boyd McGathey

Jay Reardon

Robert Reintjes

Trey Runnion

Bailus Tate

Patrick Thetford

Dennis Triplett

Bret Wilson

Gail Worh

Guests included:

Rick Armstrong, President

Kevin Boehm, Crime Stoppers Coordinator

Britt Hill-Dixon, Professional Assistant

Tracy Kirksey, Second Chance/MCSP Director

Brooklyn Meeker, Intern

Kendra Meeker, Special Events Director

Mike Wilson, MCSP Supervisor

Sonny Wilson, SAFE Director

Board of Police Commissioners:

Mayor Sly James, Kansas City Mayor

Leland Shurin, President

Nathan Garrett, Member

David Kenner, Attorney and Secretary

Don Wagner, Member

At 12:20 p.m., Mr. Boyd McGathey welcomed everyone to the meeting. Mr. McGathey then led the Pledge of Allegiance and a motion was made to approve December minutes. All are in favor for the December minutes.

Mr. Rick Armstrong introduced the KCMCC programs and described their functions, including the Crime Stoppers TIPS Program, the Metro Community Service Program, the gifts to surviving families of emergency service providers killed in the line of duty, and the Second Chance Program for ex-inmates. Mr. Armstrong also introduced Mayor Sly James and the Board of Police Commissioners.

Board of Police Commissioners—Panel
- The panel focused on Kansas City homicides and what the community can do to help decrease the number of homicides and violent crime.
  - Kansas City saw an increase in homicides in 2017 (149)
  - Commissioner Shurin suggested increasing the TIPS reward to $10,000 to get more TIPS to find suspects.
- Chief Smith noted that although there was an increase in murders last year, there were a few positives.
  - Bullet casing examinations through a partnership with the ATF
    - This examination can determine if bullets are from the same gun and if the same gun is being used for multiple crimes.
  - Technology, such as ShotSpotter, license plate readers and cameras are being used to deter crime. There is a weekly meeting to focus on repeat offenders and pattern crimes.
  - A social service worker will placed at each station through a 3-year pilot program.
  - Programs have been implemented to identify criminals, send them to vocational-technical school and then give them a job after they have completed the program. Chief Smith also discussed the Teens in Transition program.
- Mayor James noted that some fixes are short-term, while others such as racism, educational gaps and socioeconomic gaps cannot be fixed easily.
  - In all academic categories, African-American kids are treated worse. Poor education leads to poor opportunities. Poor opportunities lead to lack of hope, which leads to crime.
  - Kansas City is on the Top 10 lists of the most segregated cities
  - Mayor Sly James also discussed his Turn the Page program.
    - People in the Kansas City community go into schools and read to children.
    - This produces cross-racial experiences for the students and participants.
  - Commissioner Shurin discussed the FOP program at the Wendell Phillips Elementary School at 24^th & Prospect, in which dinner is served and students and their parents get to interact with police officers on an informal basis.
Q&A Session with panel
- Topics
  - Rita Holmes-Bobo stated that more women and minorities are needed on the Board of Police Commissioners. Mayor James agreed and noted that more are also needed in the department
  - In response to a question from Boyd McCarthy, Mayor James and Chief Smith stated that $10,000 was the right reward amount.
  - Carl DiCapo explained that the mob stopped in the Italian–American community when they started educating their community. He emphasized how important education was to stop crime.
  - Terry Kilroy asked why crime had increased so much in the last 3 years. Chief Smith responded that part of the problem is the gun culture in Kansas City and the large amount of illegal gun use.
  - Victoria Barnard asked about what other cities had done to desegregate successfully. Mayor James described a massive education program in New Orleans for 1,000 people per year. He noted that some communities host inter-personal, cross-racial dinners.
  - In response to another question about the Room-to-Read program in Nepal, India and Vietnam, Mayor James discussed the Turn the Page Program which also focuses on reading, but noted that unlike those countries there is a lot of racial divisiveness in America.
  - Chief Smith discussed the Boston vocational-technical training program. The participants are paid $400 per week to study and guaranteed jobs when their program is completed.
  - Mayor James also discussed the need for Ban the Box, as to asking for criminal history at the beginning of the hiring process.
  - Commissioner Garrett discussed the role of the police department within the community.
  - How to integrate our community
  - Programs that promote cross-racial interactions
  - Dropping crime rate
    - Increasing the TIPS reward

KCMCC Program Updates

Handouts

Closing Remarks

Mr. Armstrong thanked the board and guests before everyone was dismissed at 1:28 p.m.

Next Meeting: February 19, 2018 at 12PM at KPMG–1000 Walnut Street (11^th Floor), Kansas City, MO 64106.

Brad Sprong, Chair Gail Worth, Secretary

Secretary/Attorney President

Board of Police Commissioners Minutes