KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers believes students can play a part in curbing threats against schools and violence in the Kansas City area.
KSHB 41 has reported on at least four threats in the last two months, including one middle school forced to have extra security on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, a social media threat aimed at Center Middle School prompted police presence at the school as a security measure.
It comes as in 2022, the Kansas City area continues to see historic violence which often impacts children and teens.
According to the latest data from the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, eight people under the age of 17 have been victims of homicide in 2022. Seven others are considered suspects.
But those working to slow these incidents say it can come down to just one kid saying something to help prevent the violence.
“When you come here, you know you’re truly helping people," said Det. Christina Ludwig, who runs the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers. “It’s disheartening to see our city and our violent crime go up and up."
Ludwig says she’s motivated to make a big push for school safety.
“It all has to do with my kids, I have three teenagers now,” she said.
According to Ludwig, while overall crime tips are down, students across 80 schools are using their QR codes to report anonymously.
Still, she wants to see more usage among students.
“This is the kids language, this is what they speak,” Ludwig said. “I want our crime stoppers program in every school."
Ludwig explained the benefits of implementing the program.
"They can tell us exactly what’s going on,” she said. “It can be about guns, it can be about bullying or a friends mental well-being.”
Posters about the program are rolling out to schools in the North Kansas City Public Schoo District.
“They are reminders," Ludwig said. "And the more you see it, it will get to them and they will see it.”
Ludwig hopes by teens reporting what they know, it will help prevent tragedies.
On Wednesday, KSHB 41 spoke with a Center School District parent who with held their name, but is also pushing safety and school accountability.
“You feel hopeless and helpless, you want to do something," the parent said. "You’re sending them to a place where they are supposed to feel safe and they don’t. They are the ones that have to watch and report something going on."
Ludwig said she understands the concerns that parents are feeling these days.
“My heart stops, it really does," she said. "Those are my kids, those are peoples babies; they should not be scared to go to school and parents should not be scared."
They both hope this preventative work will deter crime after students are out of the classroom.
“I truly believe kids want to do the right thing, they just need a safe place to do it," Ludwig said.
Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers says it's received 65 school tips this fall, and an average of about 150 tips per year.
It also said it's awarded about $30,400 of tips to people, but only about $14,000 of that money has been claimed.
Tips can be made anonymously at the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline at (816)-474-TIPS (8477).
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