Crime rates have been dropping from downtown Kansas City south to Brush Creek, but a rise in auto theft has been bothering police.
There have been three fewer homicides in 2013, as compared to last year at this time, and a 10 percent reduction in violent assaults. This is good news to Major Shawn Wadle, but his Central Patrol Division can’t escape a trend of a 17 percent rise in auto thefts in the last two months.
Wadle told the City Council committee dealing with public safety, he’s hoping to learn types of cars most likely to be stolen to help stop it. Auto theft, he said, had started to drop until recently.
Central Patrol Sergeant Greg Williams noted a crowd of nearly 300 people being dispersed Saturday evening on the Plaza. Williams said he stopped counting at 200 and thought another 50 to 75 young people were there.
“Two subjects that struck a plaza horse, punched the horse," said Williams. "We had an assault that occurred with a foot chase that resulted in arrest.We had a hit and run accident involving some parties that were on the Plaza that resulted in arrest. And then some disorder that, there were no arrests but we had to kind of maintain order in the area.”
There were five arrests.