Beside an increase in the number of homicides, 41 Action News has learned the number of assaults is on the rise.
Tyron Young, 27, is in federal custody, accused of possessing a firearm. Now he faces state charges for allegedly shooting at a house in May and wounding a 14-year-old girl while she slept.
Tyron Young
The gunshots and sirens woke up Donald Evans.
"It didn't bother me until I seen the light passing on my house, I came out to the end of my driveway--on my sidewalk that's when I noticed the police were out on this corner," Evans said.
Court documents show Young is a member of the 57th street gang and Kansas City's No Violence Alliance knew of him.
"These people need to get locked up, they really do," Evans said.
It's been a particularly bad year when it comes to crime in Kansas City. Across the board, assaults are up.
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The latest figures from KCPD show the increase has ranged from just a single percent to 24 percent in some parts of the city.
"I'm now at the opportunity now where I think I'm ready to move out of this neighborhood," Evans said.
When it comes to drive-by shootings there’s been a 52 percent increase. As of October, there have been 311 drive-by shootings so far this year compared to 204 last year.
"I'm very concerned if I’m sitting out on my front porch, what happens if I get shot? Just by sitting on my front porch so it's not safe to go anywhere," Evans said.
And the number of cases solved is dismal.
KCPD stats show police have made arrests in only 21 of out of the 311 drive-by shootings.
In part, it's due to a lack of tips.
"They're not sticking together for one another coming forward with that information that the prosecution needs to prosecutor the people that are out doing this crime," Evans said.
At Tuesday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting, the deputy chief of the investigation bureau did point out that KCPD is allocating more resources to its "Crime Gun Intelligence Center," a partnership with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that will hopefully lead to more arrests.
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
