More than 100 members of the community, Kansas City police and neighborhood groups helped to clear brush and trash around 35th Street and Prospect Avenue Saturday.
The cleanup event was organized by the Kansas City No Violence Alliance in conjunction with the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, Kansas City Police Department and numerous Prospect residents. The Alliance has focused on deterring violent crime along Prospect since April.
Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center Executive Director Deborah Mann said that the response from people who live and work along Prospect was overwhelmingly positive.
"People are walking by and stopping because they want to help," Mann said. "I think this is going to transform our neighborhood, because when you have a neighborhood that's clean and inviting, you want to be there, versus one where [there is] trash, beer cans, and cigarette butts."
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker was also at the cleanup. Kansas City has seen a spike in homicides over the last several weeks compared to last year's record-low homicide rate.
As of Sept. 18, 69 Kansas Citians have been the victims of homicide in 2015, the majority of whom were killed by handguns. In 2014, there were only 54 homicides at this same time of year.
But Baker says even if homicide rates increase this year, the neighborhood focus of KC NoVA is still better than previous policing efforts, and already creates more trust between east side residents and authorities.
"Even if we did not net a grand reduction in homicides, this is still a better way to police," Baker said. "It's a better way to prosecute, and it's a better way to communicate with our neighborhoods."
Alliance members also canvassed the area over the past week to help sex workers and drug users get social assistance. Officials with the organization said that several of the people they approached participated in the cleanup.
