Some Kansas City leaders back emergency jail plan amid crime surge
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City leaders say enough is enough.
After another weekend of chaos — from ATVs and dirt bikes flooding city streets to a juvenile reportedly pointing a gun at officers — pressure is mounting for a quick solution to what some had called lawlessness.
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'We're fighting not only for your livelihood, for your family, but for the investments you've made — and it is so fixable. We can fix this,' said Sean O'Byrne, vice president of the Downtown Council.
Despite a more visible police presence this weekend, concerns remain. That increased enforcement came just days after FOX4's weeklong coverage on the state of public safety — or what many argue is a lack thereof — in Kansas City, Missouri.
Now, some city leaders believe they've found a stopgap solution. A temporary jail that could be built in under six months.
Kansas City hasn't had its own jail since 2009. A long-term facility is in the works — but construction isn't set to begin until next year, and completion could still be several years away.For Councilman Wes Rogers and Sean O'Byrne, that's too long to wait.
Their proposal? A modular jail — a facility that could be built in as little as four to five months.
'We didn't fall into this situation — we got into this situation,' O'Byrne said. 'We're going to change the dynamic and we're going to make things different.'
This modular facility Rodgers is proposing already has the support of six colleagues, which makes up seven of the thirteen council members, would offer Kansas City an immediate holding option while the permanent structure is built.
'We don't have a jail. People know we don't have a jail. It's causing problems that could be solved,' Rogers said. 'So we've got to do something in the meantime before the final jail gets built.'
Rogers, a first-term councilman and former state prosecutor, points out that the city is spending over $5 million a year transporting inmates to Nevada and Johnson County.
He says that model no longer makes financial or logistical sense — especially with crime trending upward and the World Cup set to arrive in Kansas City in just a few years.
'Constitutional rights are important, and Kansas City is not going to do anything that intentionally violates somebody's rights — it will be humane,' Rogers added, addressing concerns over inmate conditions.
Downtown businesses aren't staying silent. O'Byrne says local companies are committed to Kansas City — but they need help.
'We're at an inflection point and that inflection point needs attention,' O'Byrne said.
The first step in making the modular jail a reality happens on Tuesday, when the plan is introduced in the City Council's Finance Committee.
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With seven council members already supporting it, this temporary solution may arrive faster than many thought possible.
Stay with FOX4 as we continue to follow this developing story.
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