Dear Community Members,

In 2019, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office addressed violent crime in the courts more effectively, disposing of 63 homicide cases with a 98.4 percent conviction percentage. This is a very important accomplishment. With violence increasing in recent years, it’s more important than ever before to closely monitor how effective we are being in bringing justice to the victims and their loved ones in these violent crime cases. We must also find new, creative ways to address violence, but also low level crime, to more proactively address crime before it grows into incidents that carry much more serious consequences for those involved and for our community. Among many successes last year, our office:

• Closed nearly 10% more criminal cases
• Expanded the new Caring for Crime Survivors program
• Initiated numerous new COMBAT improvements
• Prosecuted a triple murder in which an 1-year-old was a victim
• Organized a new hospital-based violence reduction effort at Truman Medical Center
• Continued the expansion of Drug Court and New Start diversions 

This past year netted tremendous successes and encouraging progress. Our partnerships in the community have grown significantly. The prosecutor’s office has established meaningful collaborations with the community and with partners in and outside the criminal justice system, including public schools, hospitals and a variety of community groups focused on crime, especially those set on reducing violent crime. As we continue forward, we are aiming for a new public safety model that places a priority on our overall community’s health.

Thank you for taking an interest in the important work of the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office. We look ahead at even more progress in improving public safety and ensuring our office works well for everyone in our community. 

Click here for the 2019 Annual Report

Regards,

Jean Peters Baker