Kansas City district fights crime with a network of block captains

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — Nestled between Troost and Paseo, just south of the Plaza and Rockhurst University, lies a neighborhood whose name is not as well known as Brookside and Waldo: Troostwood. A row of newer homes built 20 years ago line one corner. Inside, century-old original homes mix with modest mid-century homes. The neighborhood is half owner-occupied and half rented.

While other neighborhoods were making headlines about crowded town hall meetings with police and prosecutors, the Troostwood neighborhood was taking advantage of a crime prevention system it had implemented just months earlier.

“To combat the problem, everyone has to get involved. You can't just sit around and complain. You have to do something,” said resident Kim McCarthy.

Earlier this month, McCarthy was sleeping at home when her home surveillance recorded two burglars trying to get through windows and a door at 2 a.m. Other neighbors reported similar incidents in the early morning hours. But McCarthy doesn't see herself as a victim. As one of the neighborhood's 15 block leaders, she's part of the solution.

The idea came from the police. Neighborhood association president Alfredo Garcia began developing the plan last year. They launched the program in March and recruited volunteers at their quarterly neighborhood meeting.

READ MORE: Brookside and Waldo residents express concern and frustration over crime

They have carefully divided the neighbourhood into 17 sections on a map and taken pains to group these so that the houses are facing each other. The 15 block leaders (two places are still vacant) are all on a WhatsApp chat. If something happens, a resident contacts their block leader and, like a bucket brigade, they then contact all the other leaders to inform the relevant blocks.

“I don't care if it's three in the morning, it goes to anyone on the list,” McCarthy said.

Another block leader, Wanda Shafer, described what happens from there.

“If somebody says, this is happening on 49th Street, two guys, and they're wearing black pants and a red shirt, and they're driving south on Tracy,” Shafer explained in a hypothetical scenario. “And if I see that, I can jump up and run to the front and see if I see them running, if I see the description of the car, and then I can report, OK, they're driving south on Tracy and they just turned the wrong way on Rockhurst Road. So just quick communication in real time.”

Shafer has lived in Troostwood since the 1990s. She rented for three years, then bought a house just up the street. In 1996, she met a city employee who introduced her to the Block Captain system.

It came and went.

The new program focuses on fighting crime, but Shafer also maintains some of her previous beautification-focused approaches, knowing that the appearance of a neighborhood can attract or deter crime.

She gently approaches people, suggests a lawn care service, and explains that garbage cans shouldn't be left at the curb all week or that they shouldn't have couches on the porch. She lives closest to the university and said some students come from other areas where there are fewer regulations and are happy to comply. She also promotes annual street festivals.

“The first line of defense for a safe neighborhood is knowing your neighbors,” Shafer said. “It's not primarily about having an alarm system, it's about knowing your neighbors.”

The break-ins and attempted break-ins have slowed down in the last week. Shafer and McCarthy heard that one of the men had been arrested. McCarthy is happy to be able to use his contacts to help keep the neighborhood safe.

“I think it's just community,” McCarthy said. “I love living here. We love our area and I want to keep it that way.”

They now work closely with the Kansas City Police Department and Rockhurst's campus security. Garcia also praised the resources provided by UMKC's Center for Neighborhoods. They offer a course on neighborhood activation and leadership called COHORT, which he and others took.

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