FBI eyes Kansas City as part of cross country expansion
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - More than 1000 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) positions are being moved out of Washington, D.C., into field offices around the country, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Director Patel told Congress the plan includes sending dozens to the Kansas City Regional Office to help tackle " an explosion of violent crime" in middle America.
The agents will be assigned to help crack down on violent crimes, drugs, homicides, and gang activity.
Director Patel says the plan is to bring almost 40 agents to Missouri, 33 to Kansas City specifically, two to Springfield, and one to Jefferson City.
In Kansas, they plan to add one position in Topeka and another in Wichita.
This isn’t necessarily in response to violent crime in these areas, but rather a good centralized location to access other areas.
“Because of the proportion of violent crime per capita in those regions, it needs to be covered,” Director Patel said. “I don’t want to say Kansas City has an explosion itself, but Kansas City covers a large area in Missouri and surrounding states that have an explosion of violent crime, and that’s why we’re sending them there.”
There is no timeline for when the director plans to have the new positions in place, but told Congress the Kansas City Regional Office does have the capacity to take in positions. Missouri Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) was part of the questioning of Director Patel about the plans. He released the following statement to KCTV5.
“Liberal, soft-on-crime leadership in Kansas City has left area residents suffering under a disastrous crime crisis for far too long. As part of FBI Director Kash Patel’s efforts to decentralize the bureau, he is relocating agents and staff from DC into the heart of America. The areas facing the highest level of crime are being prioritized first, which sadly includes Kansas City. The influx of 33 new FBI personnel—which Director Patel confirmed the FBI’s Kansas City field office can accommodate—is a strong step forward. I’m afraid that alone may not be enough. Local leaders must reverse their failed policies of the past, hold violent criminals able, and deliver public safety.”
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The Jackson County Prosecutors’ Office also reacted to the news Monday morning. The Director of Communications released the following statement to KCTV5.
“The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office would welcome the FBI’s deployment of federal agents to our community to strengthen our existing collaborative partnership with federal agencies and help improve public safety in Jackson County. With the FBI’s specialized expertise and resources, our local law enforcement agencies will have more , allowing our office to charge cases quicker and secure convictions in cases that might otherwise remain unsolved. We appreciate our federal partners’ commitment to addressing our community’s most pressing public safety challenges.”
To date, the FBI staffs 55 field offices across the country.
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Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson giving KCTV5 an idea of what this could mean for the community, saying in part quote “With the FBI’s specialized expertise and resources, our local law enforcement agencies will have more , allowing our office to charge cases quicker and secure convictions in cases that might otherwise remain unsolved.”
Johnson goes on to say, “We appreciate our federal partners’ commitment to addressing our community’s most pressing public safety challenges.”
While KD couldn’t go into detail about what exactly this partnership will look like day-to-day, they’re grateful for their help.
“Historically, we’ve always had good working relationships with FBI and many other federal partners,” said Captain Jake Becchina. “That’s something we rely on and look forward to continuing.”
When asked about the agents, Mayor Quinton Lucas has some reservations.
“I think a chuck of this relates to DOGE initiatives in of how you get employees out of Washington. I am not here to celebrate taking employees out of DC. It’s not what I ran for, but I am always happy to have help,” Lucas said.
Putting the politics aside, Lucas said we do have problems that impact everyday Kansas Citians.
“The FBI can be an incredible partner and often is a great partner, so we welcome those boots on the ground,” Lucas said. “However, we want to make sure that those are boots on the ground fighting crime Kansas City faces. We have a homicide challenge, we have a shooting challenge, we want to make sure those are the things that get addressed rather than other political issues as well.”
“Liberal, soft-on-crime leadership in Kansas City has left area residents suffering under a disastrous crime crisis for far too long. As part of FBI Director Kash Patel’s efforts to decentralize the bureau, he is relocating agents and staff from DC into the heart of America. The areas facing the highest level of crime are being prioritized first, which sadly includes Kansas City. The influx of 33 new FBI personnel—which Director Patel confirmed the FBI’s Kansas City field office can accommodate—is a strong step forward. I’m afraid that alone may not be enough. Local leaders must reverse their failed policies of the past, hold violent criminals able, and deliver public safety,” said Missouri Congressman Mark Alford.
Lucas responding to Alfords comments, saying that they could go back and forth but at the end of the day, they share the common goal of creating a safer Kansas City.
“A lot of that political gobbledygook, in of failed politics or what have you. I think he can have whatever view and connection with that being said; we do hold people able,” Lucas said. “I hope that we are united in making sure that we have fewer homicides and we have fewer non-fatal shootings that we see fewer challenges to the people of Kansas City and that’s going to be the issue I want to resolve.”
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