From: The Kansas City No Violence Alliance and the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 3, 2016

On Tuesday evening in a Kansas City church located in the city’s urban core, about two dozen members from at least 15 groups or gangs known to operate in Kansas City attended a meeting to hear about the violence reduction strategy known as the Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA).

This strategy has been deployed here since 2013 and in other communities across the nation for the last 15 years. The meetings are called “call-ins” and three key messages were delivered:

-- Community members describe the pain caused by violence in our community.
-- Social service advocates offer help and attendees were encouraged to take advantage of the help.
-- Law enforcement partners, including the Kansas City Police Department, the FBI and ATF, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s and Jackson County Prosecutor’s offices detailed that enforcement actions would come for any member of a group who is associated with the next homicide. They also promised enforcement against the group they determine to be the most violent. Attendees were warned that the enforcement would not only focus on the shooter or perpetrator but also on their associates or group members.

Attendees at the Nov. 1 call-in were shown the results of law enforcement actions against group members since the last KC NoVA call-in, held in late August in Kansas City.

The first homicide after the August call-in tied to a group in Kansas City was the Sept. 6, 2016, murder of Jaime Patton, whose body was found along Holmes Road. One group member now faces a federal charge of Kidnapping Resulting in Death. In addition, two other members of the group associated with Patton’s death have been charged with felonies.

A second group enforcement was focused on a group known as Click Clack following the August call-in. As a result, 11 members of the Click Clack group now face state felony or federal charges for Murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Armed Criminal Action, possession of a controlled substance and federal felon in possession. Some of them also face parole or probation violations.

The focus of the enforcement actions was solely on the active members of these particular groups or gangs. Persons not involved in illegal activity were not arrested and their probation sentences were not violated.

These results were shared with attendees of the call-in on Tuesday evening, Nov. 1.

Among the other speakers were KC Mothers In Charge; Darren Brown, an ex-offender; Mayor Sly James; FBI Special-Agent-in-Charge Eric Jackson; Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker; KC NoVA client advocate Andre Carson; KCPD Sgt. Johnita Harris; and moderator Damon Daniel of the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime. Pastor Jason Bryles of Centennial United Methodist Church welcomed the speakers and attendees to the meeting.

Attendees were also shown that since the last call-in, a variety of group members in Kansas City have received help from KC NoVA. For example, 18 new clients have actively started receiving help since August, boosting the total current KC NoVA client advocates’ caseload to more than 130 clients.

In addition, 39 clients have received education or job training help since the last call-in, while 17 received housing help and 199 received bus passes. Other services delivered since August include eight substance abuse referrals, six received medical or dental care and 39 received resume or job application assistance. Twenty-eight clients recently participated in a job fair.

Speakers at the meeting told the attendees that their goal was to keep them “safe, alive and out of prison.”

They also urged the attendees to take advantage of KC NoVA’s offers of help.

KC NoVA client advocate Carson stressed that the client advocates who help them do not work for police or prosecutors. They are solely dedicated to assessing the client’s needs and helping them achieve their goals.

“I was happy with the turnout and the attendees seemed very engaged,” said Major Mike Wood, the KC NoVA project manager.

For more information, contact:

Michael Mansur
Director of Communication
Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office
Jean Peters Baker, Prosecutor
Work : (816) 881-3812
Mobile: (816) 674-3954
mmansur@jacksongov.org
http://jacksoncountyprosecutor.com