TKC BREAKING NEWS!!! CHECK OUT KANSAS CITY MAYORAL CANDIDATE JIM ROWLAND'S PROPOSAL TO REDUCE CRIME!!!
This morning, Mayoral Candidate Jim Rowland is out with his proposal to lower crime in Kansas City.
It's a good effort that emphasized community cooperation and contains a couple of good ideas. It's even more impressive that he took time to write up a white paper on the topic of reducing Kansas City crime and host it on his website.
Check his presser this morning that offers an overview of his plan:
A Safer Kansas City: Proposals to Reduce Crime Now
Dear Tony,
Today Jim Rowland, candidate for Mayor, called for the establishment of a "Law Enforcement Officer Training Corps" (LEOTC) in Kansas City's schools to engage young people in law enforcement in their own neighborhoods. In addition, Rowland outlined changes to the make up of the Board of Police Commissioner to achieve more local control and called for additional measures to combat aggravated assaults.
Rowland issued his platform, available on his web site, www.jimrowland.com, as a starting point to combat crime across the city but especially in the urban core where a majority of murders take place. His position paper, "A Safer Kansas City: Jim Rowland's Proposals to Reduce Crime Now," is the second in a series of platform planks. The first, "Open for Business," addressed ideas for job creation.
"Calling on my own past personal experience as a teacher at University Academy in the urban core I understand the need to engage students in law enforcement. Young people cannot grow up viewing the police as their enemy and gang members as their friends. That cycle has to be broken to stop the destructive behavior that is destroying lives and neighborhoods", Rowland said.
Rowland's proposed LEOTC would work not unlike the armed forces ROTC which promotes interest in service among young people. Currently only 14% of the Kansas City Police Department's officers are African American or Latino, in a city with an African American and Latino population of 38%. Fighting and solving crimes would be enhanced if the Department more closely mirrored the population it serves. This is especially true in the urban core where a substantial majority of the murders take place.
"I believe we must alter the make up of our Board of Police Commissioners to include two additional members appointed by the Mayor. We must have more integration between the city government that funds the police department and the governing body that currently is dominated by appointees picked by Jefferson City", Rowland added.
Kansas City is one of only two municipalities in the country that does not exercise direct control over its police department. Although this system has some merits in helping to depoliticize law enforcement, the fact that only one member of the five-member body is appointed locally means that the Board is at times too independent of the City government and a lack of integration into other city programs like housing impedes crime fighting. Jim Rowland will work to change state law to expand the size of the Board by two people, to be appointed by the mayor. The police department's autonomy would be retained even as local leaders would have an increased ability to make changes, including budget consolidations, needed to fight crime.
In addition, Rowland shares the view of many that government must address the socioeconomic conditions, which often lead to increased crime rates, especially by focusing on creating good-paying jobs for Kansas Citians. His administration will work to address conditions like unemployment and visual blight that influence crime rates. Rowland has already released a job creation plan (the Open for Business Initiative) and specific proposals to improve conditions in neighborhoods, especially struggling ones east of Troost, are forthcoming.
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Yes it appears Jim Rowland can write and I think this is his second or third position paper rather than just a news release. Hermann with only a high school education cannot hardly write anything herself, the Mayor cannot make up his mind what the hell he believes except just more cops, Burke probably will have a few good ideas and Sly remains missing in action.
ReplyDeleteThis is a feel good political tactic with no teeth. If he's got balls he would use his writing skills to produce this position paper: "A Cleaner Kansas City: Jim Rowland's Proposals to Reduce Public Corruption Now." In fact, any of the candidates are free to do so.
ReplyDeleteRowland can also bitch, rave and rant at people he considers his inferior (most of them)and generally be a real live asshole. Yeah, that's just what city hall needs now....
ReplyDeleteBetter now than later with a plan. But why do candidates come forth with grandiose plans during the campaign? You're citizens - why didn't Rowland offer this plan before 100-plus people were killed? Another candidate has a so-called plan - same question. Consider social ills - jobs, jobs, jobs, healthcare (including mental) housing, education, and the list goes on.
ReplyDeleteI like this guy. He presents well and should be taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteIf you like Rowland, you must have loved Blagojevich!
ReplyDeleteNot one candidate has the balls to say what needs to be said about crime. A totally ineffective police force has allowed the inner city to become a chaotic mess. Changing that now will take mass incarceration until the message is sent. Unfortunately the KCPD doesn't care and even if they did all the preachers would cry racism so the killings will continue.
ReplyDeleteInstead of personal attacks, let's focus on the ideas that have been presented, which are generally serious and thoughtful.
ReplyDelete9:56am is at least partly correct that the lack of any serious, creative, and sustained effort or even interest on the part of offical KCMO has allowed the east side to become the unacceptably dangerous area that it is. And as long as crime and violence are allowed to fester unchecked, they will spread and are in fact spreading throughout the city.
But the other side is terribly lacking as well. And that is some serious leadrship in the community there which recognizes that other people aren't responsible for raising and supervising their kids, taking advantage of opportunities requires education, self-discipline, and hard work, the days of victimization and entitlement are long gone, healthy neighborhoods police themselves and work to develop relationships with the police and other officials, and that we'll all rise or fall together, not just one group or another desperately looking out for itself.
So who will be first to start some serious, difficult, candid, and long-overdue conversations?
Mr. Rowland has made a good start.
Unfortunately the system that uses a Board of Police Commissioners is ineffective. No one on the BOPC or the Police Department is being held accountable for RESULTS. The Police department has been under performing for years.
ReplyDeleteCrime is a major issue in Kansas City and has been ignored by those at the helm for too long. It never should have reached this point.
ReplyDeleteCrime isn't being ignored and it's not KCPD, the Council or the Mayor's fault KCMO has become Murder City. Assholes killing assholes isn't a problem, it's a solution.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that Jim Rowland is one of the only candidates to address crime in Kansas City the other candidates have been silent on the issue.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with 1:21 crime is not being addressed.
ReplyDeleteDon't tell me any candidate is addressing crime in this city if they do not also speak about public corruption.
ReplyDeleteWe need to clean up the corruption in City Hall as well as address crime and violence on the streets of Kansas City.
ReplyDeleteTerry Riley is Rowland's main supporter. Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteGreat! Terry got a job!
ReplyDeleteMo tee suh?
This fool should come over to my neighborhood and show me how to "police" my neighorhood. One dead dude he be quick with the neighbors I got.
ReplyDeleteHow can Rowland pay Terry enough to keep Terry's water turned on? Rowland has to cough up big bucks to pay Pat Gray and that hack Steve Glorioso, plus he has to pay part of Freedom's $100,000 debt in return for the group's endorsement. Terry needs a job but Rowland isn't raising enough cash to pay Terry. It's back to hiding from the repo man and not paying his water bill...still.
ReplyDelete