Police, prosecutor optimistic after first year of new KC crime prevention plan

Yahoo

05-04-2025

Officials who have spearheaded a campaign to prevent violent crime in Kansas City by connecting people with resources say the one-year-old program, SAVE KC, has seen both success stories and shortcomings since it started last spring.
Even as violent crime continues to soar in Kansas City, with the number of homicides higher than they were at this time last year, police and prosecutors say they are still hopeful about what the ambitious crime prevention plan can accomplish.
SAVE KC or Stand Against Violence, Everyone/ Everywhere/ Every Day, works by identifying those most likely to commit and be victims of violent crimes, and invites them to a 'call-in' meeting featuring messages from police, religious leaders and victims' families.
The program includes aggressive monitoring and offers support like counseling and job opportunities to help people transition out of a life of violence.
Through SAVE KC, many people have been able to get the help they need over the past year, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said at a Friday news conference. But others, after hearing the message, still chose to continue a path of violence and have been charged with crimes.
Friday's news conference was held while police were actively investigating the city's most recent homicide, which left a mother dead outside her south Kansas City home Friday.
'While, of course, we have much more work to do, and please, nobody interpret this as a victory lap, we do have some early indicators that are telling us we are heading in the right direction,' Johnson said. 'And frankly, that does give us hope, and we do have to hold on to hope.'
Since SAVE KC's inception, 45 people attended the call-in meetings and more than half continued services with organizations to get resources, officials announced Friday.
Gwendolyn Grant, president of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, said she has always pressed on getting to the root causes of crime to stop cycles of violence. SAVE KC, so far, has shown promise in meeting some of those needs, she said.
'Many of these individuals didn't realize that they did have options, and this SAVE KC program offers options,' Grant said. 'We're happy to report that many of them are taking the options provided.'
At the press conference Friday, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves said the prosecutor's office and police department are working closer together than ever before on reducing gun violence.
Graves and other officials touted the program's success as a contributor to a lower number of non-fatal shootings so far in 2025, after last year saw a significant jump in non-fatal shootings. Historically, most of Kansas City's non-fatal shootings have been attributed to group gun violence, or gang-related shootings, Graves said, which SAVE KC aims to reduce.
'Non-fatal shootings are significantly down, and I can't help but to think that's from a lot of the work that's going on here in Kansas City... all of us coming together for one year to make Kansas City safer and reduce gun violence,' Graves said.
More homicides have come from domestic violence situations so far this year, Graves said Friday.
As of April 4, according to KCPD data, 12 of Kansas City's 41 homicides were domestic violence incidents, while 15 were from arguments.
While SAVE KC does not focus on domestic violence, authorities are working to address those situations with the same intensity, Graves said.
Officials will be speaking toward the uptick in domestic violence killings at some point next week, Graves said at the news conference.
A former gang member who's now a business owner, and a mother whose child was shot and killed — both delivered a clear message to offenders at a SAVE KC meeting this week — turn away from violence.
According to officials, 11 of the 13 attendees of that meeting accepted social services for mental health, employment, and housing.
Graves shared one success story of a former East Side Gang member who was invited to the first SAVE KC message in May 2024. After hearing the message, Graves said, the man turned his life around and has since spoken as an impact speaker at other SAVE KC call-ins.
According to Graves, the man, whose identity was kept anonymous, has not been involved in any new criminal activity.
'This is what we hope for every attendee this year,' Graves said.
But not all SAVE KC attendees have heeded the message to turn from violence. A challenging part of the program, officials said, is that its success hinges on decisions of the individual.
Johnson shared a story about a SAVE KC client who chose to continue down a destructive path despite hearing the message. After a confrontation with police involving a firearm, the man now faces charges that can result in a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, Johnson said.
Another young woman, around 18-years-old, was identified by SAVE KC as at-risk, but did not attend a call-in she was invited to, Johnson said. She was charged earlier this year in connection with a double homicide that took place last year. One of the victims in the case was also a SAVE KC client, Johnson said.
'It is another tragic example of the consequences for those who reject our help — prison time and even death,' Johnson said. 'But there is another path... and many, many people are taking it.'
Johnson said that other path is SAVE KC clients getting resources to find employment, secure housing, receive treatment for trauma and substance abuse, and reconnect with their families and loved ones.
'And you know, from our perspective, the choice is clear, give up your life of crime, accept help, or, from my perspective, face the full weight of prosecution,' Johnson said.