OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!! summer in K.C
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Homicides In KC On Pace To Break 100 For First Time In Four Years
June 17, 2005, 06:04 PM
By STEVE BRISENDINE
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The homicide rate here is on pace to break 100 for the first time in four years.
"It's been a while since we've done that," Capt. Vince Cannon, commander of the Police Department's Murder Squad, said Friday. "We're quite concerned with the growing rate."
James R. Skivers, 50, of suburban Lenexa, Kan., became the city's 50th homicide victim when he died Thursday night at a hospital. He was shot in the head a day earlier, at a car wash in Kansas City near the Kansas state line.
Earlier Wednesday, 12-year-old Dominique Henderson was cut down in his back yard in what police said was a drive-by shooting. No arrests have been made in either case.
The drug trade has fueled many of the killings, Cannon said.
"There are young adults who have a complete disregard for human life," he said, "and I think drugs are at the heart of it. I think it has to do with gathering their little drug markets and defending their little drug markets."
The last time Kansas City had more than 100 homicides in one year was 2001, when there were 114. There were 91 homicides last year, 92 in 2003 and 87 in 2002. Seven of the 2004 killings and one in 2003 have been linked to one man, serial killing suspect Terry Blair.
The record, 153 homicides, was set in 1993.
This year has been bad from the start, with five killings in the first 30 hours of 2005. By Feb. 28, the city had already seen 18 homicides.
"The detectives sometimes become overwhelmed by amount of work that's asked from them," Cannon said. "The way the unit is organized right now, the Murder Squad is on call for a 28-day period and you have six or seven detectives responsible for investigating all homicides in which there has been no arrest.
"How can you effectively investigate eight or nine homicides, when they just keep coming one after another?"
Mayor Kay Barnes, in a statement issued Friday, called this year's increase "unacceptable" and said the city was developing a plan to deal with it.
"It will be a comprehensive plan that brings to bear increased law enforcement, efforts by community groups like Move UP, and empowerment of neighborhood groups that are most affected to help them deal directly with violence on their streets," Barnes said.
Cannon, who took over the Murder Squad in September 2004, said quadrupling the size of the Assault Squad from two members to eight should help.
"A lot of times, what we call 'assault' is a failed attempt at a homicide," he said. "We try to identify who our main assault people are and put them in jail as soon as we possibly can."
Although the squad didn't reach its current strength until last week, Cannon said the move to increase its size has already paid some dividends.
"Two or three weeks ago, we had a short lull in homicides," he said. "I think that was a direct result of what the Assault Squads were doing."
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
June 17, 2005, 06:04 PM
By STEVE BRISENDINE
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The homicide rate here is on pace to break 100 for the first time in four years.
"It's been a while since we've done that," Capt. Vince Cannon, commander of the Police Department's Murder Squad, said Friday. "We're quite concerned with the growing rate."
James R. Skivers, 50, of suburban Lenexa, Kan., became the city's 50th homicide victim when he died Thursday night at a hospital. He was shot in the head a day earlier, at a car wash in Kansas City near the Kansas state line.
Earlier Wednesday, 12-year-old Dominique Henderson was cut down in his back yard in what police said was a drive-by shooting. No arrests have been made in either case.
The drug trade has fueled many of the killings, Cannon said.
"There are young adults who have a complete disregard for human life," he said, "and I think drugs are at the heart of it. I think it has to do with gathering their little drug markets and defending their little drug markets."
The last time Kansas City had more than 100 homicides in one year was 2001, when there were 114. There were 91 homicides last year, 92 in 2003 and 87 in 2002. Seven of the 2004 killings and one in 2003 have been linked to one man, serial killing suspect Terry Blair.
The record, 153 homicides, was set in 1993.
This year has been bad from the start, with five killings in the first 30 hours of 2005. By Feb. 28, the city had already seen 18 homicides.
"The detectives sometimes become overwhelmed by amount of work that's asked from them," Cannon said. "The way the unit is organized right now, the Murder Squad is on call for a 28-day period and you have six or seven detectives responsible for investigating all homicides in which there has been no arrest.
"How can you effectively investigate eight or nine homicides, when they just keep coming one after another?"
Mayor Kay Barnes, in a statement issued Friday, called this year's increase "unacceptable" and said the city was developing a plan to deal with it.
"It will be a comprehensive plan that brings to bear increased law enforcement, efforts by community groups like Move UP, and empowerment of neighborhood groups that are most affected to help them deal directly with violence on their streets," Barnes said.
Cannon, who took over the Murder Squad in September 2004, said quadrupling the size of the Assault Squad from two members to eight should help.
"A lot of times, what we call 'assault' is a failed attempt at a homicide," he said. "We try to identify who our main assault people are and put them in jail as soon as we possibly can."
Although the squad didn't reach its current strength until last week, Cannon said the move to increase its size has already paid some dividends.
"Two or three weeks ago, we had a short lull in homicides," he said. "I think that was a direct result of what the Assault Squads were doing."
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Man Shot In Street Dies At Hospital
POSTED: 8:15 am CDT June 20, 2005
UPDATED: 11:23 am CDT June 20, 2005
KANSAS CITY, Mo. --
Therman Spencer
Homicide detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that took place in the 900 block of East Armour early Monday morning.
Officers were called to the area at about 12:30 a.m. and found Therman Spencer, 22, lying in the street suffering from a gunshot wound.
Spencer was rushed to a hospital, but later died.
No arrests have been reported. Information on what happened can be phoned into the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
Copyright 2005 by TheKansasCityChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
POSTED: 8:15 am CDT June 20, 2005
UPDATED: 11:23 am CDT June 20, 2005
KANSAS CITY, Mo. --
Therman Spencer
Homicide detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that took place in the 900 block of East Armour early Monday morning.
Officers were called to the area at about 12:30 a.m. and found Therman Spencer, 22, lying in the street suffering from a gunshot wound.
Spencer was rushed to a hospital, but later died.
No arrests have been reported. Information on what happened can be phoned into the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
Copyright 2005 by TheKansasCityChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Death Of Fat Tone Leads To Crime Spike, KMBC Reports
Recent Robberies May Be Connected To KC Rapper
POSTED: 9:50 pm CDT June 29, 2005
UPDATED: 10:23 pm CDT June 29, 2005
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A new picture is forming on why crime may seem like it's out of control in the metro area.
Video
Video: Death Of KC Rapper Leads To Crime Spike
KMBC's Jim Flink reported Wednesday that several recent home invasions, carjackings, street robberies and shootings may be linked to associates of murdered rap artist Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins.
Fat Tone was shot to death last month in Las Vegas. Since then, police and community leaders told KMBC that there has been a chain reaction of chaos and crime on Kansas City streets.
"A community in an uproar -- lots of confusions ... violence (is) on the upswing, to some degree," said Mark Porter, with Hundred Men of Blue Hills.
Investigators said they believe associates of Fat Tone are committing random crimes, such as home invasions and carjackings, and in addition, enemies of Fat Tone are retaliating.
Officials said the slaying of Watkins' aunt earlier this month may be connected, as was the murder of a man Monday at East 55th Street and College Avenue. Police said a Fat Tone associate may be the shooter in that case.
Police say an associate of rapper Fat Tone may have shot and killed a man at East 55th Street and College Avenue on June 27.
"What you see in Fat Tone -- is not what you should be," Porter said. "That one person has caused so much havoc because we have a weak community."
Community activists are calling for residents to take back the streets and stop the violence.
"All it takes, is one person or two people to say, 'This is not going to happen on my block,'" said the Rev. Tony Caldwell, with Peacekeepers.
Caldwell said within minutes of the shooting at 55th and College, Peacekeepers members were out in force canvassing the area. Within eight hours, the suspected shooter was in police custody.
Leaders said that kind of activism sends a powerful message to criminals.
"If you're going to live in fear, then the Fat Tones of the world are going to kick you around like a rubber ball," Porter said.
Recent Robberies May Be Connected To KC Rapper
POSTED: 9:50 pm CDT June 29, 2005
UPDATED: 10:23 pm CDT June 29, 2005
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A new picture is forming on why crime may seem like it's out of control in the metro area.
Video
Video: Death Of KC Rapper Leads To Crime Spike
KMBC's Jim Flink reported Wednesday that several recent home invasions, carjackings, street robberies and shootings may be linked to associates of murdered rap artist Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins.
Fat Tone was shot to death last month in Las Vegas. Since then, police and community leaders told KMBC that there has been a chain reaction of chaos and crime on Kansas City streets.
"A community in an uproar -- lots of confusions ... violence (is) on the upswing, to some degree," said Mark Porter, with Hundred Men of Blue Hills.
Investigators said they believe associates of Fat Tone are committing random crimes, such as home invasions and carjackings, and in addition, enemies of Fat Tone are retaliating.
Officials said the slaying of Watkins' aunt earlier this month may be connected, as was the murder of a man Monday at East 55th Street and College Avenue. Police said a Fat Tone associate may be the shooter in that case.
Police say an associate of rapper Fat Tone may have shot and killed a man at East 55th Street and College Avenue on June 27.
"What you see in Fat Tone -- is not what you should be," Porter said. "That one person has caused so much havoc because we have a weak community."
Community activists are calling for residents to take back the streets and stop the violence.
"All it takes, is one person or two people to say, 'This is not going to happen on my block,'" said the Rev. Tony Caldwell, with Peacekeepers.
Caldwell said within minutes of the shooting at 55th and College, Peacekeepers members were out in force canvassing the area. Within eight hours, the suspected shooter was in police custody.
Leaders said that kind of activism sends a powerful message to criminals.
"If you're going to live in fear, then the Fat Tones of the world are going to kick you around like a rubber ball," Porter said.