A new Kansas City coalition of community partners, social services and law enforcement agencies — all with the goal of curbing violence — kicked off their efforts Thursday, inviting more than two dozen people with ties to gangs or groups involved in violence to meet .
SAVE KC, which stands for Stand Against Violence Everyone/Everywhere/Everyday, held what they called their first “call-in,” according to a news release from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
The initiative – based on what officials said is a “targeted deterrence model proven in cities across the country” – will work to reduce violence, in part by organizing small gatherings led by community leaders delivering important messages to those close to the violence. During these meetings, leaders will offer services to improve the lives of those involved in violence, and explain the consequences of involvement in gun violence, as well as the impact on the community. They will also emphasize alternative solutions.
It echoes previous efforts by the Kansas City No Violence Alliance, or KC NoVa, a collaborative law enforcement effort to reduce crime that was halted five years ago after some early success after Kansas City police said it was no longer effective.
During the first “call-in” last week, speakers opened up about losing loved ones to violence, the Public Prosecution Service said. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Police Chief Stacey Graves also spoke to attendees.
State and local laws and community programs have so far failed to curb violence in Kansas City as homicide rates have risen in recent years, peaking in 2023 when the city’s homicide rate reached an all-time high , namely 185, according to data recorded by The Star.
Here’s more coverage from The Star on efforts to reduce violence in Kansas City:
