By Michael Bushnell
Northeast News
December 16, 2011

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker toured Independence Avenue between Prospect and the Paseo on Friday, promoting her new crime initiative to businesses and residents in the Pendleton Heights and Independence Plaza neighborhoods.

“We want to identify who the good partners and businesses will be in this area and re-engage them as community partners in the ongoing initiative in making the conditions along Independence Avenue better,” she said while standing outside the 7-11 at Independence and Woodland.

During today’s tour, Peters-Baker and her team talked with a number of business owners, including employees of the BP gas station at Independence and Woodland, a location known for drugs, prostitution and street robberies.

“We had dialogue with the manager at BP and we’re optimistic,” Peters-Baker said. “The police officers who work the area know who the bad guys are and where they operate. We want to strengthen that partnership with PD and help get the more egregious offenders off the street and give the community some breathing room in terms of improving conditions overall.”

This is Peters-Baker’s second neighborhood walk-and-talk. Recently, she toured the area near 27th and Prospect, identifying problem areas and potential solutions.

“Law enforcement can’t do all this on their own,” she said. “We want to work to strengthen the partnerships already in existence with the city prosecutor’s office, police and the community, and try to make the Avenue a better place to do business.”