By Joe Jarosz
and Michael Bushnell
Northeast News
September 9, 2015

Editor’s note: The interviews and this story were conducted last week, before a five-year-old boy was shot and killed in the Indian Mound Neighborhood. That is why there is no mention of the Labor Day weekend shooting by anyone interviewed.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Last week’s homicide in the Indian Mound Neighborhood was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

On Monday, Sept. 1, according to the Kansas City Police Department media unit, at around 2 a.m., officers were called to a residence along the 5200 block of St. John Ave., in regards to a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, DeAngelo A. Porchia, 19, on the front porch of the residence. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

On Tuesday night, Sept. 2, a vigil was held for Porchia. Manny Abarca, secretary for the Indian Mound Neighborhood Association, was one of many in attendance, which included friends, family, the activist group Aim4Peace and other prominent figures of Kansas City. As the vigil was winding down, Abarca said he was talking with a few people when a fight broke out nearby. Marisol Montero, a Kansas City Public Schools board member, was also present at last week’s vigil and had invited Abarca to the vigil, and also confirmed seeing several fights. As the two were leaving, they said they heard gunshots come from Budd Park.

“I didn’t see it but knew what that sound was,” Abarca said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had to hit the deck because of gun shots.”

They weren’t sure if the shots were aimed at the crowd from the vigil, but to Abarca, this was a call to action.

“It was a touching ceremony for a guy who obviously touched a lot of lives,” Abarca said.

Overall, crime is down, however, there have been twice as many homicides in East Patrol this year as the year prior up to August — 13 in 2014 compared to 26 so far this year. According to Major Rick Smith, of the Kansas City Police Department, the police department is not taking the recent spate of violent crime lightly.

“We’re working this hard,” Smith said. “Officers from the department’s KC NOVA [Kansas City’s No Violence Alliance] are working in the area and we’re putting some additional resources in place in order to address this issue. The partnership we have with the community here is not something we take lightly.”

For the Indian Mound Neighborhood Association, Abarca said Budd Park has always been an area of concern because of its lack of lights at night and how the trees make for good cover. Abarca added they’re working with a coalition of key stakeholders — from John Fierro and the KCPS to the police and the city’s Parks Department — to try and resolve this issue as quickly as possible, before anyone else has to get hurt.

“We want the family to see tangible action,” Abarca said.

Last year, the Indian Mound Neighborhood Association received Public Improvements Advisory Committee [PIAC] funds for additional lighting and cameras to be placed within Budd Park. Abarca said they’re working with the police and Forest Decker, Superintendent of Parks for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, to improve safety within the park; trimming trees to see across the field and strategically placing lights and cameras.

“We’re working with John [Fierro, President/CEO of the Mattie Rhodes Center] to determine how residents can take better pride in their park and to let people know it’s a safe place,” Abarca said. “We want to show criminals its not a place where they can run and hide from police at night.”

The Parks Department recently confirmed with Abarca that they can begin work within the next 10 days on the lights and cameras. Abarca hopes there is a strategy outlined in conjunction with crime statistics from KCPD prior to any work being done. The neighborhood association wants to make sure what little resources they have to use to make the park safer, they use wisely and are not just thrown in the park without a plan.

“When people feel safer, it gets better,” Abarca said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re keeping streets safer for everyone and everyone needs to be involved in this action. This was our tipping point.”

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers Greater Kansas City TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477), TIPS may also be submitted electronically at www.KCcrimestoppers.com or by texting TIP452 and your information to 274637 (CRIMES). All information is anonymous.