Latest news with #SAVEKC
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas City among top 10 most dangerous cities in U.S., new ranking says
A major national media publication lists Kansas City on its ranking of most dangerous cities in the United States. U.S. News and World Report has Kansas City listed as number eight on a list of 25 most dangerous places for 2024-2025. The company determined its rankings using FBI crime reports of each city's murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people, according to the site. Kansas City's homicide rate is a perennial problem highlighted by media and public officials. Over the past three years, the majority of killings have stemmed from arguments between individuals or groups of people, according to Kansas City Police Department data. Petty arguments and retaliatory violence are also leading variables in the city's killings. In 2025, an unusual number of homicides are from domestic violence situations. In the first three months of 2025, the city saw the same number of domestic violence homicides as all of last year, 12. Kansas City set a record high number of homicides in 2023, when 185 killings were recorded in the city. In 2024, homicides took a dip (147) but the number of nonfatal shootings in KC soared. Meanwhile, homicide rates in other major cities across the country have dropped, including in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit. As of April 17, Kansas City has recorded 44 homicides this year, according to data maintained by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. Crime statistics have fluctuated over the years in Kansas City as police and city leaders took on programs aiming at crime prevention. A new effort launched last year called SAVE KC, stands for 'Stand Against Violence, Everyone/ Everywhere/ Every Day.' It works by using a focused deterrence model, identifying those most likely to commit and be victims of violent crimes, then providing them messaging and resources to transition out of cycles of violence. Similar focused deterrence models have proven effective in reducing and preventing violent crime in metropolitan areas of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Boston, Chicago and Cincinnati. Two other Missouri cities appeared on the dangerous U.S. cities list: St. Louis (no. 2) and Springfield (no. 14). Here are the top 10 most dangerous places in the U.S., according to the U.S. News and World Report ranking: Memphis, TN St. Louis, MO Detroit, MI Birmingham, AL Little Rock, AR New Orleans, LA Cleveland, OH Kansas City, MO Myrtle Beach, SC Denver, CO
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas City 18-year-old pleads guilty in double homicide, sentenced to 21 years in prison
A Kansas City 18-year-old was sentenced 21 years in prison Monday after pleading guilty in connection with a double homicide in south Kansas City last year. Linda S. Ater pleaded guilty Monday morning to second-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in the shooting deaths of Deontae Marchbanks, 19, and Cierra Pennington, 17. Marchbanks and Pennington were shot on Dec. 9, 2024, outside an apartment building in the Citadel neighborhood of Kansas City. Police responded to the building in the 6000 block of Blue Hills Road around 3:30 p.m. and found Marchbanks and Pennington unresponsive in a car with multiple gunshot wounds. Marchbanks was pronounced dead at the scene, and Pennington was brought to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead. Ater was initially charged in January with two counts of accessory to second-degree murder and two charges of armed criminal action. At least two other suspects were initially identified in Marchbanks and Pennington's death, but Ater remains the only one charged. Surveillance video captured at the scene shows Ater, Marchbanks and Pennington arriving at the parking lot of the apartment building in the same car, according to court documents. Ater can then be seen crossing to another car to speak to the other suspects before turning back and shooting at Marchbanks and Pennington, though detectives believe her gun malfunctioned or jammed, court documents read. Ater can then be seen getting into the suspects' car as another suspect continued shooting into the car, then shot Pennington as she tried to escape, according to court documents. Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said in a statement Monday night that Ater had previously been identified as a potential participant in SAVE KC, a violent crime prevention campaign focused on deterrence and proactive resource distribution for people at high risk of criminal involvement. 'As we explain to SAVE KC clients, we care about your future, but violence will never be tolerated,' Johnson said Monday. Marchbanks and Pennington's deaths were the 141st and 142nd homicides reported in Kansas City in 2024, according to data collected by The Star.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Johnson County, Kansas residents rally in protest against federal cuts
LENEXA, Kan. — Johnson County residents braved the rain on Friday to rally outside the Social Security office in Lenexa. People that spoke with FOX4 said that they're worried that ongoing federal cuts will result in the program being jeopardized. 'I'm still working, but I'm going to count on Social Security being part of my retirement, and I want to make sure it's there for me,' said organizer John Segale. Segale says that he feels left in the dark about plans to change the organization. 'We don't know what's going on with Social Security. I'm concerned that we don't know,' he said. 'But I'm also concerned that we have people in the administration who say, 'Grandma is not going to miss her check if it doesn't arrive for a month.' He's going to say that he's maybe a billionaire or a multimillionaire, but that's not the majority of us.' SAVE KC initiative is working even though homicide rate is up, officials say A White House release from March said that President Donald Trump will not cut Social Security. Instead, the release says that they plan to address waste and fraud within the organization, estimating that the Social Security Administration made $72 billion in improper payments between 2015 and 2022. 'We do not have a king in this country. And what's happening today is like we have a king,' Segale said. Another participant says that she's tried to contact her senators about their plan for Social Security. 'I'm really disappointed in our leaders here,' said Suzanne Johnson. 'Senator Moran and Senator Marshall have not said much at all. It's something that hardworking citizens have worked for. And I don't want to see that go away. And I want to see, you know, down the line that I have social security too.' Both Johnson and Segale would like to see their senators step in with a plan for Social Security. '[President Trump] has a right to enact his policies, but we have a legislative branch that hasn't said anything, and they need to stand up and do their job,' Segale said. 'As constituents we're entitled to have some transparency in what they're thinking, what their plan of action is, or if they even have a plan,' Johnson added. We reached out to the offices of Senator Marshall and Senator Moran, but neither was able to respond in time for the deadline for this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police, prosecutor optimistic after first year of new KC crime prevention plan
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.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Yahoo
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.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
