Drivers avoiding rush hour traffic on Highway 71 look to Agnes Avenue as a shortcut.
At 64th Street, those with a lead foot zip past Hogan Prep Middle School.
"Probably I'd say 40-50 miles an hour driving right in front of here," Zac Coughlin, principal at Hogan Prep Middle School said.
Coughlin told 41 Action News those drivers pose a real threat to his 300 students.
"Our biggest concern is when the kids who are being dropped off, when they're crossing the street, that someone is going to come here and not be able to stop and that we're going to have a real tragic situation," Coughlin said.
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Even Mayor Sly James has received correspondence about the school.
"My office has gotten a number of letters, calls and e-mails from people associated with Hogan Prep Middle School," Mayor Sly James said at Tuesday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting.
He suggested traffic enforcement as a deterrent.
"We certainly encourage everyone to go out when they're not busy answering calls for service to go out and do self-initiated activity," Deputy Chief David Zimmerman, with KCPD's patrol bureau said.
But this year for the traffic unit, it's easier said than done.
"We have been particularly busy with operations 100 or events like this past week where we had to provide some individuals out there to watch because we were having protests, and then of course when you have homicides. Every time those events happen we draw traffic in. We call them in and we're tied up doing that," Deputy Chief Zimmerman said.
The numbers prove it.
This time last year officers issued 176,642 citations. This year there are nearly 25,000 less citations--151,668. The Municipal Court of Kansas City projects that their revenue will be $2,923,526 short of their FY 2016-2017 projections.
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Not only does it mean less revenue for the city, but it empowers drivers to speed past Hogan Prep Academy on Meyer Blvd at 46 miles per hour.
"I know that there are probably lots of places in the city where they need people, but when it comes to a safety issue it would be very helpful for us," Coughlin said.
A principal’s plea at a time when police say resources are spread thin.
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
