Kansas City leaders provide update on strategy aiming to cut gun violence in half (2025)

KMBC NINE NEWS. KANSAS CITY LEADERS ARE HOPING TO DRAMATICALLY REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE. IT’S A TEAM EFFORT WITH THE POLICE, GOVERNMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND FAITH LEADERS WORKING TOGETHER. KMBC NINE S MARTIN AUGUSTINE SHARES HOW THEIR PLAN IS SHAPING UP. A FEW MONTHS IN, THE GOAL OF THIS STRATEGIC PLAN IS TO CUT GUN VIOLENCE IN HALF AND HAVE THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES ANNUALLY IN KANSAS CITY BELOW 100, ALL WITHIN FIVE YEARS. NOW, FIGHTING CRIME IS A TALL TASK NO MATTER HOW YOU ATTACK IT, BUT THIS ONE IS BROADER, NOT JUST FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE, BUT FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD PERSPECTIVE, FROM A FIGHTING POVERTY PERSPECTIVE, FROM A MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE. THE BROADER IT IS, THE MORE LIKELY YOU CAN STOP CRIME BEFORE IT STARTS. ANOTHER THING GOING FOR THIS PLAN IS ALL THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT. YOU CAN SEE THEM IN THIS ROOM HERE. AGAIN, IT’S NOT JUST POLICE AND PROSECUTORS, BUT YOU HAVE FAITH LEADERS, NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, EDUCATORS IN THERE TOO, ALL TRYING TO GET TO THAT GOAL. WE’RE DEFINITELY GOING TO HAVE TO ROLL OUR SLEEVES UP AND DO THE WORK. BUT AGAIN, IF ALL OF US WORK TOGETHER, I’M CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. WE ALL WANT THE SAME THINGS SAFER STREETS. WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE SAFE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE’S A PATH OUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. SO I DO THINK UNDER 100 IS POSSIBLE. I THINK IT’S A GOAL THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP CONTINUING TO TRY TO MEET. THIS PLAN IS MODELED AFTER ONE THAT THE CITY OF OMAHA PUT INTO PLACE MANY YEARS AGO. AND OVER THE COURSE OF 17 YEARS, CRIME WAS BROUGHT DOWN 70%. MARTIN AUGUSTINE KMBC NINE NEWS. KANSAS CITY IS ON A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY IN HOMICIDES. 2023 SET A RECORD WITH 182 HOMICIDES. THERE WERE 144. IN 2024, THERE HAV