Brookside and Waldo residents attend meetings and express their concerns and frustration about crime

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) – More than 100 people filled a Brookside auditorium Wednesday night to ask police and prosecutors what they are doing to stop the seemingly endless series of crimes.

“The car thefts have gone crazy. We've had four cars stolen in our family alone,” resident Terry Hudson told KCTV5. “And it's not just the cars. It's breaking into buildings. It's the theft. It's the uncomfortable feeling of being out at night now.”

A forum organized by the Southtown Council and various neighborhood groups began with KCPD presenting data supporting their concerns.

Auto theft is currently the most common category of property crime in the Metro Patrol. In 2023 and 2024, the smaller sector that includes Brookside and Waldo saw more reports of auto theft than others, and there has been a sharp increase in recent months.

People said they called police about burglars and showed them videos, but felt nothing was being done. They also expressed frustration with response times.

They were given a list of explanations ranging from staff shortages to high violent crime rates to legal challenges in prosecuting them. Brookside resident Teresita Petrina McCarthy left the facility in frustration.

“It's always the same thing. We don't have any help. We need more money. There's nothing we can do. We go after everyone we can,” she said. “But if you get arrested and you don't have to go to jail and you get out without bail or on minimal bail, why doesn't everyone just commit crimes?”

STAFF

Captain Justin Pinkerton, who leads the Kansas City Police Department's recruitment efforts, said the department currently has about 1,100 officers, compared to 1,450 in 2008.

“If you take 25 percent of a company’s workforce away, it will hurt the product,” he told the audience.

He said the difficulties began in 2020. Normally, the department sees 60 to 70 retirements each year. In 2020 and 2021, the number was closer to 100.

SEND

The audience received a detailed explanation of how the dispatch system works from a department employee who works full-time in social work for the subway patrol, but also serves as a dispatcher with overtime pay.

She described how calls are routed from callers to dispatchers, how they are divided into zones, and how calls are “routed” to other zones when all officers in one zone answer a call. If all officers south of the river answer urgent calls, including disturbance calls in busy entertainment districts, that could mean a Northland officer responds.

“You have to be aware that a caller may be taking over 100 calls an hour,” she said. The peak call volume is between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. Priority one calls involve violent crimes such as shootings and slashings. Reports of stolen cars and burglaries are priority three or four.

LAW PROSECUTION

There were several complaints from the audience about the prosecution. The term “catch and release” was also heard.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker called this a misnomer.

“I can't pursue a case that doesn't come to me,” she said. “Property crimes are difficult to solve.”

Peters Baker staff alerted KCTV5 to the police department's 2023 annual report, which lists 9,063 reports of motor vehicle theft and 273 solved cases.

Data from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Annual Report.(KCTV5)

“My record rate is in the mid-80s, especially for property crimes,” she said.

Her deputy chief prosecutor, Dion Sankar, spoke about people being released from prison on bail. State law, he said, limits the circumstances under which a prosecutor can ask for a higher bail amount.

“Because they are violent or they might flee,” Sankar said. “Those are the two standards.”

Many of the car theft cases are brought before family court because the perpetrators are minors.

Daniel Barry, an attorney in Jackson County Family Court, said the juvenile justice system places more emphasis on treatment than punishment.

“We do a lot of property crimes, but we also deal with murders, shootings and stabbings,” Barry said. “Today we had five or six car thefts.”

SOLUTIONS

Police said they had set up additional patrols, including overtime for officers.

They said it's important not to let frustration turn into indifference. Yes, a call about a burglar is priority four for dispatch, but keep calling, they said.

“We may get there and the suspect may have already left the neighborhood,” one officer said. “But this gives me a clue as to when people are coming into your neighborhood, when they are there and what vehicle they are driving.”

This advice resonated with local resident Tricia Crowder.

“I think it's still important to report, even if we feel like it's taking too long or nothing is happening, because that helps them in the long run,” Crowder said.