There were no sirens, flashing lights, or yellow crime scene tape. Tonight, residents and police officers from  the East Patrol Division gathered for a regularly scheduled "Meet and Greet" session at Donnelly College located at 608 N 18th St. 

"The meetings are a great opportunity for our citizens to meet district officers who respond to their 911 calls and protect them on a daily basis," says Capt. Gregg Lawson, Commander of the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) unit. 

Started in 1994, community policing strategies have made a profound impact towards crime reduction in KCK. Let's take a look at the last two years on the charts below as it relates to the categories of violent crime, homicides and overall crime.

2011-2012

Based on crime statistics released by KCKPD from 2011 to 2012, the city experienced a 6.5 percent decrease in the overall crime rate. During this same period violent crime dropped by 8 percent and homicides decreased by 18 percent. There were 22 homicides recorded in 2012, which marked a historically low year in homicides for KCK.

Since 2009 the city has shown an average decrease in homicides of 16.6 percent a year.

2012- 2013

The year following, from 2012 to 2013, Kansas City, Kansas saw a -7.0 percent decrease in overall crime. Overall crime includes violent crimes and property crimes reported to KCKPD. 2013 represents the lowest annual total in overall crime since 2010.

During this same time span, violent crime fell 18.4 percent. Based on recorded trends, this was the lowest total for violent crime since 1987.

Before 1987, technology wasn't as readily available to accurately record crime data. However according to PD records the further you search back in the earlier years, the numbers for homicides have not been lower than 22 since 1970.

Although the percentages may spike up or down from year to year, the police department's statistics show numbers and crime totals are still among the lowest in 26 years.

"It is good news for any community when their crime rate goes down.  The important thing to remember is that many factors contribute to these results," says Chief, Ellen Hanson, who took over the duties of interim chief after retiring from 37 years in law enforcement.  

The police department attributes the continual decline to community-based partnerships, aggressive initiatives in community interaction and problem solving to address crime, fear of crime, social and physical disorder, and neighborhood and community decay. These community policing strategies originated in the 1980s as the new reform to the traditional role of policing. It has brought residents, local government and law enforcement agencies together like never before.

  

"We appreciate the police department. We are committed to working with law enforcement to comb, sharpen and improve all the things that make a community a community," says Veda Monday, member of the Parkwood Colony Neighborhood group.

  

"The partnering is working and I appreciate them so very much because we can go to them when we have issues or any kind of problems and they're so responsive," says Carol Newton.

  

Newton has lived in the historic Struggler's Hill neighborhood for 30 years.

  

The "Meet and Greet" event, started last year, is held in each of the four patrol divisions and is only one of several proactive community interaction and problem solving initiatives implemented by the KCK Police Department.  

The officers attend neighborhood meetings on a regular basis. Residents know the officers that patrol their neighborhoods and know how to get in touch with them. The officers network with other police departments and governmental agencies in an effort to address crime, fear of crime, social and physical disorder, neighborhood and community decay. 

"We have a very good relationship with citizens in the East Patrol Division and throughout the community," says Major Doug Hansen, Division Commander. "It's all due to the fact that these officers that you see over here; they risk their life day in and day out. They're willing to make that sacrifice to help you."

"I never thought they would solve this crime. I just thought it would be written off," said Bassett. 

After arriving home at about 1:00 a.m. on April 23rd, 2005, Bassett fell asleep while watching television. He says he awoke later that morning to go to the bathroom when he saw a car that resembled his nephew's vehicle on the morning news. 

"When I saw it I immediately knew it was his car," said Bassett. "I immediately got up and went over there because I just knew it was him." 

"Greg Lawson stayed on the case and promised he would stay on it. To this day, I respect him for that," Bassett said. 

According to reports, it was a planned murder conspired by his estranged wife and two accomplices. They were later tried and found guilty of his murder. Bassett was grateful for Lawson's follow through, responsiveness and unwavering commitment to solve his nephew's murder. 

Studies have been done around the country on relationships between police and community. Much of this research can be traced back to the 1960s. A study released in 2000 by the Chicago Police Department reveals that when it comes to community policing, there needs to be a balance between strategies that produce effective crime control with an equal appreciation of how citizens are treated. 

While reducing crime is a priority of the KCKPD, there are often misconceptions about a police department's ability to control and solve crimes. Police officers rarely discover a crime in progress. Their source of information about a crime taking place is most often gathered through a report from a citizen. This on the other hand is what makes the efforts to fighting and solving crime more difficult for police because, for some various reasons, there are many residents that make a decision to not report a crime when they see it happening. There are similar misconceptions about detective work that also negatively impacts the effectiveness of criminal investigations and the ability to solve crimes.

"Without the continuing relationship with the public, our policing efforts would not be nearly as effective.  The initiative benefits both the PD and the community because this partnership gets reinforced yearly," he says.

Standing at the podium with her children by her side, Stephanie Moore, a resident of the Prescott Neighborhood Association shared the same sentiment with residents at the Meet and Greet. She says the positive interaction with the department has been key to their success. 

"Prescott and the police department have partnered time and time again on efforts to reduce illegal activity in and around Prescott. An important part of our partnership is communication. Communication from both the neighborhood and the officers.  Both sides are providing helpful information to each other .Whether we are removing graffiti, addressing a blighted structure or addressing an overflowing used car lot," Moore said.

The Citizen's Academy and Volunteer Program is a seven week course that Chief Hansen says provides residents with an increased understanding of the tasks police officers face in their daily work. 

"Why were there three police cars down the road?" Hansen says this is a common question some may ask when they see a person stopped by police. 

"Well a lot of times you may think that seems like a lot of police cars on one call. You don't know the background or situation or how many times they have been stopped on that corner," she emphasized. "Likewise it's very difficult for police officers who don't live in that community to understand exactly what you experience on a day-to-day basis. What I think is great about this opportunity and other citizen groups that come out and commingle with people from the police department is that you can gain some understanding." 

The program is another example of how the department is making attempts to improve its accountability to the community.

Handcuffing Negative Perceptions

This level of interaction wasn't as prevalent throughout the community from the 80s and 90s when crime was rampant and tension between the police department, criminals, and the community was probably at one of its highest points. 

"Quite naturally there was tension during that timeframe because people were tired of the issues," says Callahan. "The police relationship with the community, especially poor and black community, wasn't as nearly as strong as it should have been."

Callahan saw a lot during his 30-year career in law enforcement. Drugs, gangs, and death were common crime at scenes.

"Crack cocaine was flourishing and people carried guns. A normal teen skirmish that occurred ended becoming violent because everyone was carrying a pistol," he said. "We get a call and go in the house and there's three to four people shot and killed in a house. The violence was horrendous."

The word Crimedotte became a name synonymous with Wyandotte County and proudly used as a symbol of toughness for many of the street gangs during that time. The rise in crime along with other social and economic issues contributed to a drastic exodus of residents. The city's population decreased by more than 20,000 over a 30-year period between 1970 and 2000.

Peggy Breit has covered news in Kansas City for 34 years. She remembers reporting on the stories of crime, homicides, and murder trials in KCK during her extensive career.  

"The perception of KCK was that there are many areas to stay away from - especially around Quindaro Blvd," says Breit, an award-winning journalist for KMBC TV 9 news. "There was a lot of visible blight in many locations. People from outside the Dotte did not want to go there." 

She says in addition to the city's negative reputation as it related to crime, the opinions viewed by some residents and members of the media about the police department weren't too favorable as well during this period. 

"KCK Police used to have a reputation for being cowboys, chasers, and quick to shoot. Right or wrong, that's how I think people perceived them," she said. 

Breit says from her experience working with various law enforcement agencies, that honesty and openness are key to public support for police.  

"We in the media have much less contact with KCK police than in say, KCMO, or really many other PDs.  There's an inference that the department maybe circles the wagons, protects its own. I think police departments need to be an open book for the good and the bad," says Breit. "We just recently had a good example of that when Chief Ellen Hanson spoke out about another chase that led to a death. She expressed how careful and responsible she knows the officers to be in KCK, and she referenced listening to the scanners and hearing their approaches to various tough scenarios that play out. It was refreshing and enlightening." 

Callahan handled some of the public relations duties at one point during his career on the department. He believes the police department was as open as it could be at that time. He reflected on numerous occasions when the media was allowed to ride alongside officers and given access to interview them. He says they were able to see first-hand what officers dealt with on a day-to-day basis while patrolling the streets.  

"Within law enforcement or within any group or organization there's certain tendencies to give the impression that there's a level of unwillingness, whereas it's sometimes more  of not being able to give information that might be requested by the media due to the type of investigation."

It's not uncommon for police and media to be on different sides of the fence when it comes to questions pertaining to openness. That sometimes can look different from both sides. In the end, both organizations share the same goal and that is to serve the public.

"The KCKPD takes what the media reports serious because what's represented in the media can both reflect and create a real public sentiment," says Sgt. Emmett Lockridge. "We are keenly aware of the perception of the police-community relationship and are taking steps to continue improving on that relationship." 

Paul Soptick has lived in KCK all of his life. When it comes to making his community a better place to live, his passion is second to none.

KCK and Wyandotte County have experienced exponential economic growth over the past decade. In 2010, the county had more than $250 million in commercial construction activity. It was a record breaking year. The growth continued in 2011 with $158 million in commercial construction activity. The historic growth occurred throughout the city and ranged from manufacturing plants, to health care facilities and entertainment venues. In 2013, the economic investment in Wyandotte County surged close to $1 billion. And all of it was done during a recession. 

The county and city population growth is on an upward trend. Also in the northeast area, nearly $6 million is currently being invested in the construction and rehabilitation of new homes along Quindaro Blvd. The positive trend in the creation of jobs and new development projects is expected to continue in the years out.  

The population for the city and county have stabilized. The most recent 2013 estimates shows the population of the County over 160,000 since the 1990 Census. The City has also continued to improve since 1990. 

"I believe that we all can do a better job of getting the word out about the positives of our community. Doing that would counterbalance some of the negative impressions that are out there," says Chief Hanson.

There's been multiple stories reported by the media on KCK's economic boom and crime reduction efforts. Unfortunately in between the positive news coverage, reports of shootings, car chases and murders, don't do much help to diminish many of the negative attitudes that still exist amongst some who live outside the boundaries of Wyandotte County. 

"I think the media over a long period of time really helped create this perception. The other dynamic was political - politics in KCK was hard and dirty for a long, long time and that just added fuel to the fire," says Wyandotte County Sheriff Don Ash.

Sheriff Ash has been in law enforcement for more than 40 years. The majority of his professional career was on the KCKPD.

"The community was always blue collar, working class, manual labor people that worked and played hard, and fought hard as well. Underground, organized crime groups operated for a long time unabated in KCK and some of the politicians were either involved or perceived to be involved - that didn't help our image," He added.  

In an article written by Paul Overberg and Meghan Hoyer for USA Today titled, "Study: Despite drop in gun crime, 56% think it's worse,"  it quotes a professor who says, "The public doesn't get its feelings out of crime statistics," said Alfred Blumstein, an urban systems professor at Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. "The public gets its feelings from particularly notorious events, and what the press talks about."

An example of a situation like this was in 2012 when there were three separate shooting events that resulted in multiple deaths. Things had been relatively calm before this particular streak of random shootings, but reporters wanted to know if the incidents were related. The shootings were covered by every local media outlet. In spite of these unfortunate shootings that resulted in the loss of several lives in the community, as mentioned earlier, 2012 ended with the lowest homicide rate since 1970. Unfortunately out of those who have negative perceptions about KCK, how many were aware of this statistic or even it remember it after that particular story aired?    

"Crime is going down. Whatever the metropolitan community perceives Wyandotte County to be, I can tell you this... Wyandotte County - it's a boot strap community," Lt. Zeigler said. "The community reached down and they've dug themselves out of a hole." 

"We've made it better and dealt with it realistically. From the law enforcement circles, they have seen KCK change dramatically. People who come to KU medical center for treatment or to a Sporting KC game don't see KCK as a mecca for crime anymore," said Rick Armstrong, former Chief of Police for KCKPD and current Chief of Police for the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools.

The COPPS unit combined with programs like "Meet and Greet", Citizen's Academy and the citizen led organization NCPP, are all ongoing proactive approaches of community policing efforts aimed to prevent crime and reduce victimization.

With new gun law legislation that allows open carry on the books and as funding sources become even more challenging in the years to come, community partnerships like these are going to be even more valuable to help sustain relationships and effective public safety services within the community. Leadership within the PD will continued to be challenged to develop new and innovative techniques that will address the needs of the community in the most cost-effective way. 

A report published in 2011 by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services with the U.S. Department of Justice highlights this increasing issue. 

"This pepper spray is a great tool if you don't have any other means to protect yourself. It's cheap and it's effective," Zeigler tells residents of the Leavenworth Road Association.

Ziegler's "Staying Safe" presentation is one example of this approach. He takes time out of his own schedule to reach out to neighborhood and community groups providing helpful tips on personal safety, home safety and identity theft. He delivered a presentation Tuesday, March 11th to residents at a local church. 

"I like the fact that he reminded us of keeping your head up and looking around. I like the use of props, keys, pins and visuals," says Carl Kaster, owner of Buz's Mufflers and a member of the Leavenworth Neighborhood Road Association.

Ziegler has been busy attending neighborhood meetings throughout the city sharing important information about what they can do to protect themselves and keep from becoming a victim of crime. Last year his presentation focused on how one could be a good witness. Understanding and knowing the kind of information police need to know when solving a crime is critical.

"The more I go around and talk about this and raise awareness about things that can be done. It makes people feel safe because the police department is reaching out trying to educate them. In the end, it's driving down the crime," says Zeigler.

Sheriff Ash says as a community we have the opportunity to keep doing what works and find new and innovative ways to prevent crime. 

"We have to keep working together, expand collaborations and keep the relations open," says Sheriff Ash. "We're better together and that's proven overtime." 

Staying aware and acknowledging the social issues that often nurture criminal behavior are significant factors in a community's efforts to addressing crime. Ash says continued investment in programs and organizations that support single parent families are essential ingredients to helping children grow and develop in safe and secure environments.

About 67% of the persons incarcerated in our jail do not have a high school diploma or GED - that's 2/3 of that population. Those are our "professional or career/chronic offenders" that prey on society. Drug and gang prevention programs that educate children about all the negative consequences of drug use and  gang involvement. Children need to be trained and have the social coping skills developed before their teen years when peer pressure hits. The more we invest in children on the front end the less we will have to spend investigating, prosecuting, and incarcerating them as adults."