Jackson County Prosecutor Bolsters Anti-Crime Unit

Normally, we'd push this presser a bit further down on the front page but this morning it's important to understand how the New Prosecutor at the courthouse is CLEARLY a lot busier than her predecessor as she confronts rising local property crime and a homicide count that's near record levels.

Here's the word . . . 

Prosecutor Johnson launches expansion of Crime Strategies Unit to more proactively address crime

Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson today launched the expansion of the Crime Strategies Unit (CSU), enhancing public safety through innovative, data-driven approaches.

The CSU will now take a more proactive role in analyzing crime data, staffed with additional experienced prosecutors working to create targeted prosecution strategies to address high-impact property crime and violent offenders.

“The expanded Crime Strategies Unit fulfills key promises I made during my campaign, providing a more strategic approach to make our communities safer,” said Prosecutor Johnson. “This approach will help us break the cycle of repeat offending that has negatively affected our neighborhoods and business community for far too long. This unit is about prioritizing office resources on the 10% of people causing 90% of the harm in our community.”

Three experienced prosecutors will be assigned to the CSU, dedicated to handling cases involving offenders with extensive criminal history and high risk for violent and serious criminal activity. These prosecutors will collaborate closely with SAVE KC, our focused deterrence program, ensuring violent offenders are prosecuted effectively.

Community engagement will be a vital part of the expanded unit, with CSU prosecutors regularly connecting with business owners and neighborhood groups to gather intelligence and monitor crime trends in all areas of Jackson County.

Working alongside CSU data analysts, CSU prosecutors will also develop innovative prosecution strategies based on crime data analysis, such as the “trespass notice” the office has been distributing to our business community to legally trespass nuisance individuals without having to wait for a law enforcement response.

The unit will also manage the property crime docket to identify patterns, track repeat offenders, and create strategies to prevent continued victimization in our communities. The CSU will be assigned law student interns to help expand the unit’s capacity and efficacy.

Additionally, CSU prosecutors will handle probation and bond hearings for high-impact offenders and SAVE KC clients. Their detailed knowledge of each case will allow them to provide courts with well-informed arguments on public safety risks, appropriate bond recommendations, pretrial monitoring, enhanced supervision, and intervention strategies.  

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Developing . . .