Public Safety

With over 5,000 reported car thefts in Kansas City this year, frustrated residents are demanding elected officials and law enforcement find solutions. Plus: A $10 million federal grant will be used to improve safety on Prospect Avenue, one of the city's most dangerous roads.

Mayor Quinton Lucas told KCUR’s Up To Date that he’d like to find alternative ways to pay for the baseball team’s future stadium. “Why should every person in Jackson County pay a sales tax to support something that they may never use?” he asked.

Kansas City experienced its deadliest year on record in 2023, although homicides are down so far in 2024. With longtime Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker stepping down, multiple Democrats and a Republican are proposing ways to refocus the office.

Alvin Brooks’ life has become the stuff of legend around Kansas City. Now, a new film by Academy Award-winner Kevin Wilmott details it for the big screen.

Lawmakers sent a very similar measure to Gov. Mike Parson last year. He vetoed it due to a proposal making it easier for people to get restitution for wrongful convictions, and language around expungements.

Kansas City received more than 600 pothole reports after the cold snap cut up roads. Crews are trying to patch them up quickly, but the craters are already taking out tires and suspensions. Plus: Why a Kansas surgeon is helping wounded soldiers in Ukraine.

Why freight train safety reform efforts are losing steam a year after the fiery train crash in East Palestine, Ohio, sparked bipartisan interest. Plus, the Kansas university that claims to have thrown the first forward pass in college football history.

Missouri joined a handful of states labeling emergency dispatchers as "first responders." Along with the new label comes advanced access to mental health resources and the formal naming of PTSD as an occupational hazard for the profession.

Recently re-elected Mayor Quinton Lucas and the new Kansas City Council will be sworn in Tuesday morning — signaling the start of their four-year term. But for the six newcomers, including Johnathan Duncan and Crispin Rea, preparation began weeks ago.

Since March 29, Kansas City Police have received 296 calls related to street racing and sideshow activities. While the city has invested in some new infrastructure, such as installing plastic discs in the ground that make it harder for stunt drivers, the changes haven't held up as well as officials hoped.

Organizers expect that Kansas City’s 2023 PrideFest and parade should draw about 50,000 people this weekend. But recent anti-LGBTQ policies, plus an attack last weekend at Fountain Haus in Westport, have stoked safety concerns for many event-goers.

Some young Kansas Citians say they’re losing trust in the ability of elected officials and law enforcement to keep them safe from groups they believe want to do them harm. So they're turning to gun ownership. Plus: Why an ancient grain could help Midwest farmers survive climate change.