SAVE KC initiative is working even though homicide rate is up: Officials
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County Democratic Prosecuting Attorney Melesa Johnson says leaders are making progress on reducing violent crime, even though the number of homicides this year is ahead of last year's pace.
Friday afternoon, the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) Daily Homicide Analysis showed that there were 39 homicides in the city so far this year. At this same time last year, there were 33.
KCPD investigates suspected murder-suicide after woman, man found dead
Johnson said that, despite the fact that homicides are up, the Stand Against Violence Everyone, Everywhere, Everday KC, better known as the SAVE KC initiative, is actually working.
'The vast majority or the lion's share of our homicides that we've seen in our community this year have been domestic violence related,' Johnson said when asked how she sells to the community that this initiative's working.
Johnson followed that up by saying that SAVE KC does not focus on domestic violence. Friday, she and Chief Stacey Graves talked about how non-fatal shootings are actually down nearly 60% this year compared to this same time last year.
Chief Graves also said that gang violence is actually down.
'I can't help but to think that's from a lot of the work that's going on here in Kansas City,' Chief Graves said about gang violence numbers dropping.
'The collaboration, the close working relationship, all of us coming together for one goal to make Kansas City safer and reduce gun violence.'
Earlier in the Friday morning news conference, Johnson said nobody should take Friday's announcements as a 'victory lap' for her office. Through SAVE KC, the group uses focused deterrence, where people associated with gangs are actually brought in and talked to in an effort to prevent them from continuing the life that they're living.
Woman killed in shooting outside south Kansas City home
Thursday evening, SAVE KC held another 'call in,' where 13 people were talked to about their actions.
Urban League of Greater Kansas City Chief Executive Officer Gwendolyn Grant represents the civil rights community in the SAVE KC process. She was a part of Friday's news conference.
'It was important for us to be engaged at every level to ensure that we are addressing issues of equity, our concerns relative to police involved homicides and excessive and deadly force, all of those issues,' Grant said.
When it comes to KCPD and Johnson's domestic violence plan, Chief Graves said more information will be released early in the week of Sunday, April 6. Friday afternoon, 12 of the city's 39 homicides had 'domestic violence' listed as a 'predominant contributing factor.'
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