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Mayor Sly James fed up with violence in KC

Posted at 12:50 PM, May 03, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-03 13:51:10-04

Mayor Sly James said the Kansas City Police Department’s game plan to combat homicides in Kansas City is not working.

The mayor made the remarks at Tuesday’s KCStat meeting on Public Safety.

“If that approach was working then we wouldn't be having this conversation. I mean, it’s year after year after year after year. It’s the same ole story. It’s the same numbers. It’s the same group of people killing and doing the killing, and it’s the same ole approach,” said James. “We are not moving this needle. Not the way that we should. It is one of the major issues in this city. One that holds us back; holds us back from redeveloping parts of the city, holds us back in bringing businesses in, holds us back from the image. When we have a third of the number of a city 20 times our size, that’s not good.”

James was referring to the 352 murders in New York City in 2015 compared to 110 in Kansas City.

When James asked Kansas City Police Department Major Scott Glaeser what the police are doing to address gun violence, Maj. Glaeser referenced social media, community outreach and pleas for the public to use common sense gun ownership. Maj. Glaeser acknowledged the city has an uphill battle.

"There was a teenager who had brought a firearm to the parade. He was taken into custody and his parents were there with him and they were aware that their teenage son had brought a firearm to the parade and they did not have a problem with it. And if those are the attitudes that we have in our community I don't know that I have the answers these are going to be, this is a problem that needs to be addressed by every member of our community," said Maj. Glaeser.

James said to Maj. Glaeser that more needs to be done.

"I'd like some answers from you guys on, ‘OK, in light of everything, here's some ideas.’ Maybe they work, maybe they don't but we gotta do something. We gotta do something. I'm no longer content to sit here and just complain about the legislature, although certainly that's worthy but we've got to do something, OK, and I don't know what that is. I need your help," said James.

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Brian Abel can be reached at brian.abel@kshb.com. 

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