By Paul Thompson

Northeast News

April 15, 2016

According to KC No Violence Alliance (NoVA) Project Manager Major Rick Smith, there was a time in Kansas City’s not-too-distant past when being in a violent gang was statistically more dangerous than serving as a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan.

In a presentation before the Kansas City Council’s Neighborhood & Public Safety and Housing Joint Committee on Wednesday, April 13, Smith provided figures from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting database that show just how dangerous it has been to join a violent group in Kansas City.

“If you identify in a group, you can see how high that goes,” said Smith. “We need to change that trend; that’s what we’re working on.”

Check back in next week to find out how KC NoVA is combating violent crime in Kansas City.

NoVA Chart
The chart above displays FBI Uniform Crime Reporting fatality rates per 100,000 people. The categories are: soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan; KC violent group members; black males aged 25-34 in KC; black males ages 18-24 in KC; Kansas City’s overall fatality rate; and the national fatality rate. The audit averages on the right represent the number of individuals identified by KC NoVA as the highest risks for violence in 2014, 2015, and 2016, respectively.