In response to rising concerns about crime in Kansas City, Mayor Quinton Lucas has proposed a $16 million plan to convert part of the Kansas City Police Department’s downtown headquarters into a detention facility.
This proposal comes amid growing public outrage over recent criminal activities in the city.
During the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) meeting, Lucas explained that the eighth floor of the police building at East 11th and Locust streets would be repurposed into a holding and booking facility.
This facility would have space for 144 people, including 55 overnight beds. The plan aims to address the need for more space to detain individuals arrested by the police, with detainees staying for up to 72 hours.
Construction on this new facility is expected to begin in 2025, with completion hoped for by the time Kansas City hosts six matches of the FIFA World Cup in June 2026.
Addressing Crime and Capacity
This new detention center is part of broader efforts to address crime and detention capacity in Kansas City. The facility would complement another proposal for a new municipal jail that would hold about 250 people.
Additionally, Jackson County is working on a larger jail project that will cost over $300 million.
The police department once had a central holding facility, but it was closed in 2015. Currently, the Metro Patrol Division can only hold up to 18 individuals. Some people arrested are transported to detention centers in Johnson and Vernon counties in Missouri, which adds logistical challenges.
Mayor Lucas is expected to introduce the ordinance to secure funding from the Public Safety Sales Tax Fund at the upcoming City Council meeting. He hopes the proposal will be approved within the next couple of weeks.
Rising Crime and City Response
At the same BOPC meeting, Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves emphasized that the department has been working hard to address recent criminal issues. Officers have executed search warrants, recovered illegal firearms, and increased patrols in response to rising crime.
The city has seen a surge in property crimes, such as break-ins at businesses, as well as the highly publicized murder of restaurateur Shaun Brady, who was shot while taking out the trash at his business.
Additionally, crime near the SunFresh grocery store on Prospect Avenue has drawn public attention. Many community members are concerned that much of this crime is being committed by young people.
In terms of violent crime, the city has recorded 111 homicides so far this year, compared to 141 at the same time last year. However, nonfatal shootings have risen by 23%, with 430 nonfatal shootings reported as of early September, compared to 349 last year.
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Mixed Reactions from the Community
While city officials see the new detention center as an important step in combating crime, some community members are skeptical. LaTonia Draffen, a member of Decarcerate KC, questioned whether building more jails is the best solution.
“What is that going to solve?” Draffen asked, pointing out that people are often arrested, jailed, and then released, only to repeat the same behaviors. She argued that the money would be better spent on youth services, mental health programs, and housing initiatives to prevent crime from occurring in the first place.
Draffen also raised concerns about what kind of mental health and medical services will be provided in the new facility, stressing the need for a more holistic approach to rehabilitation.
Mayor Lucas, however, insists that ensuring people who commit crimes are arrested and held accountable is a key part of making the city safer. “I hope everyone who commits a crime that merits an arrest gets arrested and then gets transported somewhere,” Lucas said, emphasizing that this new jail is a necessary part of the solution.