Independence hotel closes, crime goes down: Nearby employees say it’s ‘night and day’ difference
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - A hotel shuts down, and police see a massive reduction in crime.
Back in November, the Health Department with the City of Independence forced a hotel off I-70 and Noland Road to close. The note on the door cited no health permit or business license.
Ever since, crime has gone down. In February, the Independence Police Department saw a 35% reduction in weapons violations, burglaries, drug crimes, and car thefts.
“The reduction in crime has been phenomenal; it’s great,” said Jarred Staggs, who works nearby.
Staggs recalls the horror they’ve witnessed ever since the hotel opened a few years ago.
“We had to open late one day because a sniper was out because someone was holding someone hostage in one of the rooms,” Staggs said. “One of our local friends, as we liked to call them, would be completely naked in the bathroom with the door unlocked. Drugs everywhere, prostitution, I could go on.”
With the hotel closed he said it’s a night-and-day difference.
“It’s gotten so much quieter and easier for everybody at work,” Staggs said. “There’s not people out here always looking in cars or asking people for money. I haven’t had to clean up any drugs. It’s actually been a really good break for just the day to day.”
Officer Bryan Conley used to be the paroling officer for the area and experienced the crime out of the hotel firsthand.
“I’ve worked a shooting there, drug overdoses, sex offenses, assaults, warranted arrests, lots of pursuits come from that hotel,” Conley said. “I hope that other businesses that are problematic take notice of this and they either take notice of this and get on board or things will be done and problems will be solved.”
Charlie Dissell, the assistant city manager, said the process started last summer. They began really looking into some properties with high calls for service.
“We started holding istrative hearings against the business license for some of these properties,” Dissell said. “We gathered information from those hearings, what the owners were saying, what our staff was saying and then we made some judgments on some of these properties to ultimately revoke their license.”
Dissell added that this was especially important to do before the FIFA World Cup comes to town.
“Our hotels are some of the closest you’re going to get to Arrowhead Stadium,” Dissell said. “We know they are going to be very popular; people are going to be in those hotels, they’re going to be full. Their impression of Kansas City could be what our hotels are like in Independence.”
In a statement, Council Member Jennie Vaught, who represents the area, said,
“While the decision to close any business is never taken lightly, it was necessary to prioritize the safety and well-being of our residents, businesses and visitors. I worked with City staff across multiple departments to analyze data, and they found enough violations to revoke their license. Since the closure, we have seen a significant decline in criminal activities associated with this hotel. Our law enforcement has reported fewer incidents in the area.
This is a testament to our commitment to fostering an environment where everyone can feel comfortable and protected. Closing this business was a difficult but essential step toward attracting better services and amenities that enhance the quality of life for our community.
Looking ahead, I’m optimistic for the future of this property.”
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