KCMO police have reported four homicides within the first four days of 2016.
The most recent crime happened on Monday morning at a home on Northeast 38th Street, when a man allegedly stabbed his wife to death.
The alarming start to 2016 is coming after the city saw a spike in homicides the previous year.
On Jan. 12, 2016, the Citizens Task Force on Violence will hold its first meeting.
The group was formed last November by Mayor Sly James and is made up of around two dozen community members, including teachers and church leaders.
By fall, the task force will make recommendations to the mayor of how the city can put a stop to violence. City Council member Jolie Justus is leading the task force.
She says the group is focusing on a number of things to address violence, including guns.
"It is clear when you look at our homicide rate in KC that the vast majority occur by gun," explained Justus. "To have this conversation without taking about guns would be foolish and a waste of time."
Justus said the group has already gone over plans to improve reporting of stolen guns to police.
Other community members, like Bishop John Birmingham of Harvest Connection Ministry, are putting together events to raise awareness of the violence.
On Saturday Jan. 9, 2016, Bishop Birmingham will help lead a prayer rally at Milestone Youth Center on East 12th Street at 9:30 a.m.
He said the event was organized in response to the recent homicides.
"We're all victimized by this violence," said Bishop Birmingham. "We need to come together and be on this same page and pray together and overcome this evil that is in our city."
The four homicides reported in 2016 are the most to start off a new year in Kansas City in at least five years.
The Citizens Task Force on Violence will be holding meetings on the second Tuesday of every month from 6-8 p.m. at the Gregg-Klice Community Center.
The public is invited to attend both the task force meetings and the Saturday prayer rally.
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at tom.dempsey@kshb.com.
