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Hyde Park residents wake up to find car windows smashed

Posted at 12:20 PM, Aug 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-09 17:27:08-04

Dozens of people woke up Wednesday morning needing their car windows replaced after a slew of vandalism in the Hyde Park area, just north of the Plaza.

Thefts, break-ins, and vandalism are all too familiar crimes happening in Hyde Park.

"Good years, bad years. I thought this was going to be a good year but apparently, there's been a lot of crap going on around here," said Cliff Laughlin, a Hyde Park resident. 

On Wednesday, residents stepped outside to find their car windows were broken and glass throughout the streets.

"I've just seen car after car after car after car after car just coming down and I just went up one block and over and that's it," said Brittany Cook, whose car windows were smashed. 

Residents in the area said this kind of thing happens often.

"Once a week or so, or every other week,” said Ronnie Gates, a Hyde Park resident. 

However, the damage is never of this magnitude.

"Now this was just malicious I think," said Laughlin. 

"It's just ridiculous, I don't understand why this is happening," said Cook. 

Around 2 a.m. dozens of cars lining the streets near 42nd Street and Campbell Street in Kansas City, Missouri had their windows bashed.

"Just drive by, break out the window, bam, down the block and go to the next one," said Laughlin. 

Along with the broken glass were golf balls. 

"Well he found the golf ball inside of the car, that's how he knew it was a golf ball," said Laughlin. 

What residents don’t understand is why this happened.   

"Luckily I didn't have any valuables inside, but nothing was taken out of the car, so I mean, someone was just driving up and down the street just smashing cars for no particular reason," said Cook. 

An act that took seconds is now costing people hundreds of dollars.

"Windows is expensive to fix and whatever they took probably costs less than getting your car windows fixed," said Gates. 

Cook said to fix her rear windshield she was quoted $950. 

KCMO Police said because of the number of cars that were targeted, they are taking reports over the phone.