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The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department is preparing for its fifth annual Peace Walk on Saturday, which is set to highlight a consistent drop in violent crime and honor two fallen officers.
Uniting the police and the community has been a key strategy for KCKPD Chief Karl Oakman, and the annual Peace Walk is a major part of that effort.
"I became chief in June of 2021. We had our plan in place in August," Oakman said.
The results show a significant decrease in violence.
The year before Oakman started, the city saw nearly 60 homicides. But over the last five years, homicides have dropped by about 60%.
In 2024, the city tied its lowest recorded homicide total at 22.
As of April 6, 2026, there have been three homicides in the city, a 50% drop from the same time last year.
Overall, violent crime is down 31% year-to-date.
"It’s been consistent for five years,” Oakman said, pointing downward. “It’s been here. And not just homicides, but violent crime overall.”
Oakman credits the reduction to community partnerships, a real-time crime center, focused deterrence and a sense of urgency among detectives.
"It wasn’t by osmosis. We were out doing the work," Oakman said.
Groups like Youth Ambassadors work alongside police departments on both sides of the state line. Founded 15 years ago, the program serves teenagers ages 14 to 18.
Last year, more than 90% of the youth served by Youth Ambassadors were able to minimize and avoid violent crime.
Executive Director Dr. Monique Johnston said the youth she serves learn about healthy relationships, empathy, self-regulation and interactions with law enforcement.
"Seeing law enforcement as human beings, seeing them in a mentorship capacity can really help bridge the gap that exists in some of our communities when it comes to developing positive relationships with law enforcement," Johnston said.
Elizabeth Fernandez, a Wyandotte County native and community projects manager for Youth Ambassadors, is participating in the walk for her third year.
She says she's excited to see the number of participants grow year after year.
This year, there are about 20 groups signed up.
Growing up in the Argentine community, Fernandez said she did not have many resources.
"There’s a lot of resources out there that our teens are not very aware about, and within the program, they’re able to connect with local gardens, food distributions, get involved more in the community," Fernandez said.
KCKPD also hosts several youth programs, including a football camp, youth academies, a police athletic league and a free driver's education program taught by officers.
"We’ve actually had a couple homicides solved just by the kids in the driver's ed program giving the officer information," Oakman said.
Oakman said building these relationships helps youth feel comfortable sharing information to solve crimes, while officers teach them how to stay out of bad environments.
Despite the progress, violent crime is not completely gone.
At Saturday’s walk, Oakman plans to honor the families of two Wyandotte County law enforcement officers. Ofc. Hunter Simoncic and Deputy Elijah Ming both died in the line of duty last year.
"As a police chief, that’s one of the worst things you can experience,” Oakman said. “That’s one of the things that keeps me up at night.”
Students at Banneker Elementary, where Simoncic used to read to children, will sign a banner for his family to carry during the walk.
"I even shared with the family, you’ll get through it, but you won’t get over it,” Oakman said. “And little things like this helps comfort them with that pain because that pain’s not going to ever go away."
Oakman said the department's support for the families will remain, and he is hopeful community outreach continues to make neighborhoods safer.
The department also plans to present a Lifetime Peace Walk award to someone who’s worked to reduce crime and support victims.
Oakman added the walk is a chance for the community to come with their questions, support or even critiques.
“You can hold the police accountable and support the police. You can do a lot more together than apart," Oakman said.
The event begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, at 5th and Washington. The walk will end at 5th and Parallel with food and a gathering.
You can register a group to walk at kckpd.org.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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