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Religious Leaders Are Crafting Plans To Get To The Heart Of Kansas City's Violent Crime Problem

By Brian Ellison,

Published August 20, 2020 at 4:18 PM CDT

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Pastor Emmanuel Cleaver III leads community faith leaders and Kansas City police officers in prayer before the unveiling of the partnership. — Rev. Emanuel Cleaver III, behind the microphones, and Pastor Darron Edwards, behind him in purple, unveiled the "Getting to the Heart of the Matter" effort on Aug. 11.

Churches and faith leaders are working to assess crime in each police division, and tailor solutions to mobilize the community, open dialogue and find solutions.

"Getting to the Heart of the Matter" is a new initiative seeking to do just that for violent crime in Kansas City — address its root causes. It involves faith leaders throughout Kansas City, who are working with police to address crime during an especially violent year.

Darron Edwards, pastor of United Believers Community Church
Emanuel Cleaver III, senior pastor of St. James United Methodist Church

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Up To Date Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)religion Kansas City Police Department crime Podcast Talk Show violence police community engagement St. James United Methodist Chuch

Brian Ellison

As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.

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Luke X. Martin

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Chris Young

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