KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Roughly 500 people were shot last year in Kansas City. The smallest of them rushed to a hospital bed at Children’s Mercy Hospital, where Tammy Kemp’s job is to have mercy on the kids and families involved.
“It’s a two-year-old and it could be anybody’s child,” said Kemp, a social worker for the hospital.
Lindsay Moran is a social worker with KCPD and also works with some of the city’s youngest shooting victims.
“One evening shift we had seven gunshot victims. What are we doing for these people when this is over? And a mom asked me are you gonna put him back out in the streets that shot him?” said Moran.
Children’s Mercy and KCPD have entered into a partnership to help victims and their families cope with trauma in October 2017.
Instead of just investigating crimes against children, Moran and Kemp serve as liaisons; assisting child shooting victims and their families with trauma care, counseling and other services. Someone also helps walk them through the legal process, and workers even help victims find financial assistance if necessary.
“From October 2017 until now, The Kansas City Police Department has had 30 gunshot referrals from Children’s Mercy,” Moran tells 41 Action News.
These workers may not have all the answers on how to combat crime, but when crime happens, Kemp said they’re committed to providing answers on how life goes on.
“Not only looking to prevent current injuries, but down the line help the community and its youth be healthier," said Kemp.
