Peggy Lowe
Public Safety, Justice and Investigative ReporterAs KCUR’s public safety and justice reporter, I put the people affected by the criminal justice system front and center, so you can learn about different perspectives through empathetic, contextual and informative reporting. My investigative work shines a light on often secretive processes, countering official narratives and exposing injustices.
Email me at lowep@kcur.org.
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Officer Blayne Newton wasn’t supposed to be in Jackson County in June 2023 when he killed two people and injured a third. Prosecutors there were refusing to take his cases because of his history of using excessive force. -
Acknowledging that the decision might be "deeply painful" for the victims' families, Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson announced that she won’t file charges in an incident in which Officer Blayne Newton killed two and injured a third person, despite her concerns about his behavior. Newton, a nine-year KCPD veteran, is still on the force. -
Replacing the French blue shirt and wool pants worn since 1984, the new uniform is all navy blue and has a freshly designed shoulder patch. “The look and the feel of our police force is changing,” said Tom Whittaker, chair of the Board of Police Commissioners. -
A protest organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation attracted more than 200 people who came out despite the wet, cold evening. Many carried signs with pictures of Renee Good, the former Kansas City woman fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis earlier this week. -
Mayor Christal Watson said no decisions have been made on whether Wyandotte County will help pay for a new stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs. Some Kansas City, Kansas, residents worry local governments haven't been good stewards of their money. -
After several years of record homicides and other violent crime, Kansas City leaders now point to a decrease in homicides, nonfatal shootings, burglaries and property damage. Police Chief Stacey Graves attributed it to more officers and a citywide focused deterrence program. -
Ahmon Mann, 46, says Roger Golubski, a disgraced Kansas City, Kansas, Police detective, was the “main architect of the state’s one-witness case” in a 2000 murder. Mann is seeking release from a Kansas prison, saying his conviction was a “manifest injustice” created by Golubski and his then-partner. -
Legislators will consider a billion-dollar public funding package in hopes of luring the NFL team to Kansas. The Royals will not be discussed Monday, leaving the MLB team’s future uncertain.
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In Missouri and Kansas, the secretary of state is the top election official, a partisan position chosen by voters. But to the frustration of some, Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has used his authority to push certain Republican priorities, especially when it comes to ballot issues on redistricting and abortion. -
Victims of the disgraced KCKPD detective and other social justice advocates fear that any accountability in Wyandotte County died with Golubski. “How and when does the statute of limitations run out on justice?”
