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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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. -
Sheriff Darryl Forte said lawmakers have a duty to prioritize community concerns over politics. Jackson County Legislative Chair Manny Abarca, who introduced the measure to ban masks, countered that accountability “shouldn’t be a problem for good cops.” -
Missouri Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern says former Kansas City Councilwoman Heather Hall, who is married to a retired KCPD officer, cannot be impartial. Nurrenbern needs to sign-off in order to send Hall’s nomination to the full Senate by a Feb. 6 deadline. -
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.
