KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A task force in Kansas City is working to identify businesses, establishments, or properties that have experienced a high number of violent incidents and emergency calls. The group is scheduled to meet on Tuesday morning.
The mayor’s office has announced that the main focus of the meeting will be to discuss the structure of the Multidisciplinary Public Safety Task Force. This task force was established in response to a city council ordinance passed in July.
Mayor Quinton Lucas, along with Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw and Director of Public Safety Melesa Johnson, will convene at the Fast Stop located on East 10th Street. During this meeting, they will outline the forthcoming steps of the initiative.
The primary objective of the task force is to examine businesses and properties with a history of numerous violent incidents, as well as complaints reported through the 311 service and emergency calls.
The intention is to collaborate with business proprietors to implement enhancements, concentrating on identifying factors such as adequate lighting, waste disposal, prevention of illegal dumping, addressing graffiti, and rectifying any business violations.
Additionally, the mayor’s office has reminded the public that, in response to a tragic mass shooting at the Klymax Lounge resulting in three deaths, nine injuries, and significant impact on the community, they had previously requested the closure of unlicensed clubs on Prospect Avenue and the revocation of their business licenses.
The task force conducted its initial site visit at the Fast Stop last week. Notably, this location had experienced a homicide in late June, received 59 service calls, and had 14 police reports filed within the past year.
City staff conducted an evaluation of the business premises, uncovering issues like overgrown vegetation, refuse accumulation, and graffiti.
The press conference addressing these matters is scheduled for 9 a.m. Updates will be provided at noon on KCTV5, as well as during the evening broadcasts, concerning the findings of the task force and their proposed strategies moving forward