Neighborhood at war with scrap metal thieves

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A northeast Kansas City neighborhood is at war. Not with each other, but with thieves who are ripping homes apart.

Scarritt Renaissance is battling to keep its historic charm, all while scrap metal thieves are tearing up home after home, day after day.

"It was to the point where I was getting hit twice a day," said Ken Richardson.

Now Richardson spends a lot of his time hitting the streets.

"I'm the guy that carries the big stick and walks around the neighborhood at night," said Richardson.

He and a dozen other neighbors pay special attention to a vacant 130-year-old home on Benton Blvd. It's been targeted more than 20 times over the past couple months.

"There's no electrical left in this house at all," said Richardson.

The kitchen is empty.

"They took the appliances early on," said Richardson.

Upstairs, it's even worse.

"This bathroom was marble at one time. He went looking for copper in it. And needless to say, there's nothing left," said Richardson.

What's scariest, Richardson says much of this has happened under their watch. And the thieves just won't stop.

"I catch the same guy over and over and over," said Richardson.

Kansas City police are thankful for Richardson and his team of volunteers.

"That's what we need, is proactive citizens that are watching over their neighborhoods," said Sgt. Keith Ericsson.

Ericsson says it's a problem all over the city, with many homes sitting empty because of foreclosure. So they need folks to be vigilant of suspicious people and activity before thefts turn into deaths.

"This is to the point where, if we don't stop this now, this citizens are literally going to have to stand up and start killing these guys," said Richardson.

The Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association will brief residents on the problem at 3:00 on Saturday, February 18, at 309 Benton Blvd.