KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Argentine neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas, has seen an uptick in violent crime, including two shootings on Metropolitan Avenue in the past month.
"Just in the past two or three months, there have been shots every single night," Ann Brandau, an Argentine resident, said. "When I go to our neighborhood Facebook accounts, somebody's reporting gunshots."
Brandau said quality of life issues, like graffiti, also are on the rise.
The former Wyandotte County commissioner said people are not even able to go to the grocery store without being harassed.
"What we've seen is a large influx of people that don't live here coming to the neighborhood,” Brandau said. “Some are just vagrants, some are homeless. We've seen homeless camps being set up.”
The increase in violent crime has kept Kansas City, Kansas, police busy.
"But the vast majority of the people that live here that are seeing this increase in spike in crime, are not feeling comfortable reaching out to our law enforcement," Brandau said.
KCKPD wants to change that.
In a letter to those in the Argentine neighborhood, interim KCK Police Chief Michael York acknowledged the spike in crime.
"In response, we have rallied our specialized units to proactively patrol the area," York wrote in the letter. “We have followed the data and deployed our resources in the areas most impacted.”
With COVID-19 restrictions easing, York said officers who do community policing will return to their regular shifts working in hotspot areas.
Residents hope that will make a difference.
"When nothing happens for weeks, it develops a sense of apathy with the people that live here," Brandau said.
KCKPD also encouraged residents to report all types of crimes.
According to the department, residents can call in reports from 6:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week to the KCKPD Report Line at 913-573-8680. Reports also can be delivered in person to to South Patrol, 2200 Metropolitan Avenue, from 8 am to 4:40 p.m. Monday through Friday.
