Cops & Crime

Kansas City, MO – Not one, but two proposals are now on the table to maintain and grow the Kansas City Police Department into the next decade and beyond.

The department's governing board today started looking at Chief Jim Corwin's plan for a renewed public safety sales tax.

Kansas City, MO – The former owner of the Hereford House Restaurant in Kansas City has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that include arson and mail fraud.

57-year-old Rod Anderson allegedly gave an unidentified co conspirator a key and alarm code to the restaurant at 20th and Main. The Hereford house restaurant burned in October 2008.

Damage was set at more than a million dollars.

The indictment contends Anderson told the insurance company the loss was close to $2.4 million.

Kansas City, MO – Wednesday marked the ribbon cutting for the new Metro Patrol Division Station of the Kansas City police department. The 28,000-square-foot facility at 75th and Prospect is much larger and more modern than the old Metro Patrol Station on 63rd Street.

The Metro Patrol covers the area between 47th and 95th Streets. It's in Councilman Terry Riley's District, and he told the crowd that the new building will kick-start re-development along the Prospect corridor.

Jefferson City, MO – Elderly Missourians who qualify for $250 rebate checks from Medicare are being warned to watch out for scam artists.

The checks that are being mailed out are legitimate, but seniors who receive them may be targeted by con artists. State Attorney General Chris Koster says recipients should not give out their personal information to anyone calling to ask for it.

Kansas City, MO – Kansas City and its police department need to combat lies spread by social media before frenzies take hold. The message is from Councilwoman Cindy Circo.

During a Council committee meeting today, Deputy Police Chief Cy Ritter said rumors have spread that traffic checkpoints have snarled flow of cars for hours, when it was really five minutes. Ritter cited a recent checkpoint looking for unlicensed drivers on Barry Road east of I-29.

Kansas City, Mo. – The lure of bank robbery, apparently, knows no age restrictions. An 80-year-old Kansas City man today admitted his crime.

Retired railroad engineer Augusta Cannon told a U.S. District Judge he went to UMB Bank at 103rd and Stateline Road three days before Christmas last year. He held a pellet gun on a teller, demanded money and got nearly $9,000.

Kansas City, Mo. – A commercial fireworks-type explosive set off on the southern edge of Kansas City's downtown forced hundreds to travel somewhere other than parts of Grand Boulevard Thursday afternoon. A police bomb robot was working near 17th and Grand. KCURs Dan Verbeck was there.

Kansas City, Mo. – Kansas City is painfully slow collecting overdue taxes from businesses. The fact became apparent when the city auditor reported to the city council this week it takes, on average, 241 days to pick out which businesses owe occupational license fees.

Jason Phillips was a member of the auditing team, describing deficiencies.

"In the tax years 2004 to 2008, an average of 145 days elapsed between the due date for withholdings of earnings taxes to the date potential delinquent cases were identified," Phillips gave as an example.

Kansas City, Mo. – Convenience store surveillance video led to an arrest, and now charges have been filed against two Kansas City men in a particularly brutal beating in Brookside.

The Jackson County Prosecutor lays charges that 23-year-old Andre Valentine and 20-year-old Durrell White beat, robbed, then further savaged a man and woman in a parking lot Friday near 62nd Terrace west of Main.

Olathe, Kan. – A Johnson County District Court jury today has convicted two teenage brothers in the shooting death of a man and wounding of another.

Donte Robinson of Merriam was killed 14 months ago in a 61st and Foster apartment parking lot fight. He was 21.

Today 18-year-old Avrin Chapman was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and two counts attempted voluntary manslaughter. His 17-year-old brother Devin, also of Overland Park, stands guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter.