By Dan Verbeck
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-980829.mp3
Kansas City, MO. – Dozens of arrests have resulted from a three day anti-violent-crime sweep, just ended this afternoon by Kansas City Police. It has been an almost annual affair but there were some unusual aspects to it.
There were drugs and guns and 71 new arrests to go with dozens of others. All that was anticipated.
Jan Zimmerman, the Major who runs vice and narcotics was not expecting a stack of fine quality counterfeit fifties, adding up to $1,550, nor 650 new cell phones still in bubble wrap and apparently stolen.
Today, when police went looking for leads on 5 unsolved homicides and found some people to arrest as which are termed 'persons of interest', Zimmerman noted--" we got a gun in the house of one of those individuals that matches the caliber of the weapon that was used in the homicide. So that's been sent to our lab for testing. So we got some pretty promising leads on some cold case homicides."
This sweep was in the center city. Police say the coming months will bring similar roundups in the two northern patrol divisions and the other on the South end.