A series of burglaries and a fatal shooting in the West Plaza neighborhood have many residents on edge.
This summer, a woman was robbed and hit with a brick, a thief climbed several balconies to get inside apartments, and a shooting outside The Point Bar took the life of a 20-year-old woman.
“The increase in crime, it brings up concern for the residents in the area,” said Jeff Evans.
Evans and his wife moved into their West Plaza home less than a year ago. This summer, he said, crime is hitting too close to home.
“There’s been a break-in just a few houses down from us,” he said. “I mean, a woman was assaulted with a brick just one block down and two blocks over.”
Kansas City police told 41 Action News while shootings and attacks in the area remain rare, property crime continues to spike. According to detectives with Central Patrol Property Crimes, there have been at least 20 burglaries in the West Plaza neighborhood. Most of these burglaries involved garage or shed break-ins.
“It’s alarming,” said Jean, who also lives in the West Plaza area and witnessed a man coming out of her neighbor’s home.
“I was working on my house and walked out and then a car, a very distinct looking car, came screeching out of the house... the driveway of the house across the street,” she said. “It turns out the person who came out of the driveway had kicked in their back door and stolen a TV.”
Police said the best way to protect your property is by locking doors, garages and sheds and keeping flood lights on.
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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at ariel.rothfield@kshb.com.
