Nuisance Business Taskforce Inspection

During the November meeting of the Nuisance Business Task Force (NBTF) The Atlantic Star Restaurant was the topic of discussion.  The Atlantic Star restaurant was referred to the task force due to community complaints, and suspected license violations.  On 12-3-2004 the NBTF conducted a site inspection at the Atlantic Star Restaurant, 9331 Hillcrest.  South Patrol, and Vice Unit personnel assisted the task force in conducting the inspection.  During the inspection four charges were issued to the business owner and staff.  One of the charges was serving alcohol to a minor.  Investigator Richardson from the Fire Marshall’s office issued two pages of violations to the business.  The business was given until 12-6-2004 to meet the mandated code requirements.  The Atlantic Star Restaurant is currently not open for business.   

New Chief Making Rounds

During the month of December Chief James Corwin attended roll calls on each watch at South Patrol Division.  Chief Corwin took the opportunity to share his vision of the direction he would like the department to take during his term as Chief.  Chief Corwin also solicited input from the S.P.D. staff on any current issues, and how we can improve our service to our community.  Our staff appreciated the opportunity for dialogue exchange.   Thank you Chief Corwin for your proactive efforts in effective communication.

South Patrol Explorer Post!

Currently the South Patrol Division is establishing an Explorer Post for residents of the south patrol community.  The South Patrol Division Explorer POST program is a joint partnership between the Wal-Mart Store # 2955 located at 1701 W. 133^rd street, Swope Community Builders of Kansas City, the Police Athletic League of Kansas City, and the Hillcrest Community Center.  The mission of the program is to provide a community based policing program for young adults.  The program is designed to expose young adults to the various dynamics of law enforcement, to improve community relations, and to foster interest in career opportunities associated with law enforcement. 

The program is open to male and female applicants ages 15 to 20.  Applicants must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in school, no un-excused absences from school, and have at least two letters of reference.  The letters of reference will be accepted from a parent, professional, or person of choice.  Once the applicant has been accepted they must complete our Youth Citizens Police Academy.  The meeting location will be the Hillcrest Community Center located at 10401 Hillcrest. 

Civilian Employee Profile

As identified in last month’s issue, the South Patrol Division front desk personnel from Watch -III received the highest ratings in customer service.  As a result, during the month of December the division office treated the W-III personnel to a dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory.  Congratulations to our Watch-III desk personnel.   

Special Unit Report

The South Patrol Property Crimes Unit would like to alert South Kansas City residents to a crime pattern that has evolved over the past few months.  Since October 1, 2004 there have been over 30 residence burglaries of unoccupied homes that are being remodeled.  The unknown suspects are obviously targeting houses that have outward signs of being remodeled.  Some of these signs include trash dumpsters in front of the residence, construction trucks or trailers parked in the driveway, empty appliance boxes in front of the house, no curtains covering the windows, etc.  The suspects usually wait until the person doing the remodeling is not present and then pry open a front or rear door.  The thieves then steal power tools, and in some cases fixtures, that are left behind.  Please keep an eye on these residences and call 9-1-1 if you see anything suspicious.

On a more positive note, 2 suspects were recently arrested and charged in a series of residence burglaries that were occurring on and near the 107^th street corridor, from Blue Ridge to James A Reed.  One of the suspects confessed to 13 of these offenses and is being held in the Jackson County Jail on $50,000 bond.  These suspects were identified because one of the burglary victims knew the serial numbers of the property he had stolen.  Please take time to record the serial numbers of your personal property.

Sergeant Witcher

Supervisor

Property Crimes Unit.

Crime Tip of the Month

One of the latest trends in identity theft is for a person to use the camera feature of a cell phone to take a picture of a credit card, debit card, or phone card.  After taking the picture the offender will obtain the number from the cards to use for unauthorized purchases.  Please be aware of individuals who make use of cell phones while handling your credit documents.  When possible, insist that the business representative conducts all transactions in your presence.  If they must step away request that they return your card until they are ready to conduct the transaction.  This is not always possible with businesses such as restaurants.  In this case write the name of the person that conducted the transaction on the back of your receipt.  Retain your receipt for future records.  Always review your financial accounts frequently to identify any unauthorized transactions posted to your accounts. This is important as most financial institutions have a time limit for disputing unauthorized claims. 

Personnel Changes

South Patrol welcomes three new sergeants.  Sgt. Freed W-I , Sgt. Murray W-III, and Sgt. Dickerson W-I have been transferred to south patrol.  Sgt. Freed is a veteran sergeant from East Patrol Division.  Sgt. Murray, and Sgt. Dickerson are newly promoted sergeants.  We are pleased to inform our community of our new additions.  Please feel free to contact the station to welcome them to our area.

Neighborhood Watch

Would you like to establish a neighborhood watch in your area?  It only takes a few small steps to establish a neighborhood watch.

1)       Contact as many neighbors as possible to see if they would be willing to meet to organize a neighborhood watch group.  The community members that are willing to participate will establish your group boundaries. 

2)       Establish a meeting date, time, and location that you would like to meet.  Contact our Community Interaction Officer and invite representatives from South Patrol to attend the meeting.

3)       Determine member duties, and responsibilities.  Contact the Neighborhood Preservation Office to post the proper signs in your neighborhood.

Following these simple steps will get your community well on their way to reducing crime in your neighborhood.  Remember, a Neighborhood watch is only as effective as the members involved

Citizens Police Academy

It is class time!  The next Academy class starts on March 1, 2005 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  The classes are tentatively scheduled to be held at the Regional Training Academy which is centrally located at 1328 Agnes, just one block north of Truman Road, and adjacent to Interstate 70.  Most classes are conducted on site unless otherwise notified.  The Citizen Police Academy provides an introduction and overview of the operations of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.  The goal is to give the participant a better understanding and appreciation of the complex nature of the police work and create a partnership between police and the citizens they serve.  Upon completion, the graduate should have a greater sense of how their police department operates to serve them, their family and friends.  Often graduates have tremendous pride in the contribution they are making to the community and have become Goodwill Ambassadors for the department.  During the course of the academy, participants will also be required to take part in one ride-a-long, to be scheduled at their convenience, at times other than the scheduled meeting times.  Participants should be committed to this ten-week class schedule and must attend at least eight of the ten sessions, along with completing the ride-a-long, to receive the course diploma.

Citizen Police Academy topics cover such areas as:

o         Department History and Responsibilities

o         Criminal and Civil Law

o         Patrol Tactics

o         Accident Investigation and Traffic

                Enforcement

o         Tactical Team, Helicopter and K-9

                Demonstrations

o         Use of Force Tactics Demonstrations

o         Handling Mock Scenarios Qualifications

o         Minimum age of 18 years old

o         Encouraged to be a resident of, work in, or attend school in Kansas City, Mo.

o         No Felony conviction

Class size is limited.  If interested please contact Officer Jason White at 672-2828 or come to the station to request an application.

Purchase of Accident and

Offense Reports

Reports are usually available one week after an incident has been reported, unless extenuating circumstances have occurred.  A phone call to our main number to check if a report is ready for purchase would save you a wasted trip.  Please have your Case Report Number (CRN) available when calling or responding to SPD to purchase a report.  If you do not know the CRN, we may be able to locate it in the computer if you provide us with the correct date, time, name of person(s) involved, and location of the incident.  The cost for purchase of a report is $5.00.  It must be cash in exact change, a business check, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to “The Board of Police Commissioners”.  Our lobby is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

South Patrol Division

Crime Statistics

Mission Statement

The mission of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department is to protect life and property, preserve the public peace, prevent crime, and reduce fear and disorder in partnership with the community. In an effort to assist all members in performing in such a manner as to accomplish our mission, the following department goals are provided:

Prevent Crime

Improve Relationships

Provide Excellent Customer Service