Prosecutor’s new approach to curb property crimes in Kansas City entertainment areas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The people behind new approach toward an issue plaguing Kansas City’s River Market, and other areas, hope to see lasting results.
Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said her office plans to launch a new unit March 10. It will be called the Crime Strategies Unit. The team will include a team of three attorneys.
The attorneys will be responsible for handling a number of new prosecution strategies.
The attorneys will work directly with businesses in Kansas City’s entertainment districts in hopes of cutting down on the number of property crimes plaguing those areas.
“Many of our business and entertainment districts know exactly who the frequent fliers are. These prosecutors are going to work directly with those stakeholders to identify those individuals and then we can prioritize our resources in a consistent way by the creation of this unit,” Johnson said.
The key to the new approach is consistency, according to Johnson.
“Consistency is really important to focused deterrence. You need attorneys who actually know the full criminal background of a person at issue so they can present accurate facts to the judge to be able to get good results,” Johnson said.
The office is also taking a proactive approach in hopes of helping police, businesses and prosecutions. The following tres form is available to any business. Owners can also print it out below.
Tres Notice by heidikctv5 on Scribd
Johnson also explained how to use the form.
- Print 2 copies
- Fill out both copies
- Stand in front of an inside security camera at your business and hand the form to the person tresing
- Clip the portion of the video that shows you handing the form to the person
- Retain the video and your copy of the form for your records
“Under the law they have been officially tresed. The reason why that is so important is because tresing, plus stealing, equals burglary. I can’t prosecute municipal crimes, but we can prosecute felonies,” Johnson said.
The form is also available through the prosecutor’s office. Business owners can also the office for a sign.
The Crime Strategies Unit will be busy. it will also be responsible for handling bond hearings and probation violations for repeat violators as it works closely with Kansas City police.
“It really kind of memorializes that we’re a collaboration, us all sitting at the table together to strategize toward prioritizing resources on those that are causing the most harm in our community,” Johnson said.
There have been dozens of reports of break-ins and vandalism at restaurants and businesses across the city for months.
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