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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Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said she got accountability in the case against the 20-year-old involved in the fatal mass shooting. But Johnson vowed to change the law, saying the victim’s family deserved “way more than the law currently allows us to give them.” -
Kansas City federal judge says he’s been target of threats after ruling against Trump administrationU.S. District Judge Stephen Bough says his family was targeted after he ruled against the Trump administration in its attempt to deport five Missouri college students. Threats against federal judges have spiked since President Donald Trump took office. -
The family of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the 43-year-old mother who was killed during the February 2024 mass shooting, said accountability matters, but it won’t bring their loved one back. The Jackson County prosecutor said she could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Dominic Miller, 20, was the initial aggressor. -
The Kansas City Council is considering an ordinance that calls for barring the sale of single-serving bottles of alcohol in five parts of town. The city believes the plan could curb public safety problems like violence, loitering and other crime near liquor stores. -
Despite cries that it was “performative politics,” Chair Manny Abarca said the plan puts the county on record as opposing “the caging of people.” A second measure that would have barred federal immigration agents from wearing masks was held for legal concerns. -
Diana Knapp, the county’s director of corrections for eight years, is leaving just as the new $317 million county detention center is set to open this spring. Sheriff Darryl Forte said the resignation "may create some uncertainty" and ultimately, a new chief will be hired. -
An earlier appellate decision said deadly force, like using a firearm or a knife, can be used to protect yourself against death, injury or assault, if the force is reasonable. Prosecutors fear the ruling will affect victims of violent crimes and could make meaningless the state’s Castle Doctrine, a version of “stand your ground” laws. -
Legal settlements paid by the Kansas City Police Department for fatal shootings and other excessive force cases are among the reasons Chief Stacey Graves has called for “drastic” cuts. The mayor and city council will soon attempt to take back some control of the purse strings. -
Officer Blayne Newton fatally shot three people and injured others over the course of his nine-year career with the Kansas City Police Department. KCPD called it an “agreed departure.” -
Critics said Heather Hall, a former Kansas City councilwoman, could not be impartial. Missouri state Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Northland Democrat, led the opposition to Hall's appointment.
