KC NoVA’s impact on the Historic Northeast

Paul Thompson
Northeast News

Like many Kansas City residents, KCPD Captain Thad Seever didn’t have a clear understanding of what the Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA) was until he joined the organization as a commander a few months back. Seever had envisioned a squad of sorts, consisting mostly of police officers. What he found was a wide-ranging collaboration, with KCPD serving as the enforcement arm.

“There’s so many different parts of NoVA,” Seever said over coffee earlier this month. “Social services, there’s a messaging committee, there’s an intelligence committee, an enforcement committee, which I chair; there’s just so many parts of it that I had no idea about before.”

If Seever was unsure how NoVA operated, it stands to reason that the general public has also been left wanting. Did you know, for instance, that KC NoVA employs three full-time social workers as client advocates? Seever estimates that at any one time, those client advocates are connecting 80-90 individuals to vital social services.

To its credit, Seever indicated that the KC NoVA governing board understands that the collaboration could do more to positively engage the community. Those efforts have clearly been prioritized under Chief of Police Rick Smith; NoVA personnel organized a community canvass in the Historic Northeast in March, and a NoVA Impact Squad has been somewhat publicly employed in the Northeast area since early 2018.

The KC NoVA governing board also recently hired a full-time staffer dedicated to community engagement.

“One of the weakest links of NoVA has been our ability to be out in the community and engage the community,” Seever said. “So the KC NoVA governing board recently hired a full-time community engagement supervisor whose primary job is to oversee the three client advocates, but to also engage community groups, engage faith leaders and individuals who can really get the community involved in violence reduction.”


According to Seever, Chief Smith’s vision is for NoVA Impact Squads to eventually be deployed in each patrol division.
“The NoVA initiative will still continue, but the goal that the Chief has in mind, or the vision, is for each Patrol division to have its own NoVA initiative run by their Impact Squads,” Seever said. “Each division station will have its own NoVA initiatives, which is enforced by their impact squads.”

Whether you realize it or not, the Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA) is out there. The goal, at least for the moment, is making the Historic Northeast a safer place to live. Resources deployed in the area include two enforcements squads, enforcement elements from Narcotics and Vice, Probation and Parole, undercover assets and codes enforcement personnel.

Initially, those resources were focused primarily on less than a dozen of the area’s most notorious criminals.

“When we first started this initiative in the Northeast, we identified a group of eight individuals that we believed were causing the most disruption,” Seever said.

Those eight individuals, KC NoVA believed, were the main culprits behind drive-by shootings, aggravated assaults, and armed robberies. This new geographical enforcement strategy – focusing on one neighborhood at a time – was first deployed with a pilot program in the Hickman Mills area of South Kansas City. The problems in that area stemmed primarily from juveniles, and Seever said that NoVA noticed a general reduction in violent crime after the main culprits were brought to justice.

With NoVA’s resources now in the Historic Northeast, the organization is showing that it recognizes a problem with violent crime in the area. Those resources have already proven to be a valuable commodity.

When a utility worker was tragically murdered near the intersection of 9th and Brooklyn, NoVA personnel were among the law enforcement responders.

“For that homicide, it was almost an all-hands on deck approach. Resources from throughout the department were brought in, especially to help with the area canvass,” Seever said. “We knocked on hundreds of doors over about a three or four day period, trying to identify anyone that had home surveillance or any businesses that had surveillance, trying to gather all that information together, trying to identify any witnesses that may have gotten a good look at the guy.”

Another problem being addressed by NoVA is the stock of vacant homes in the Northeast, and the criminal element that attracts to the empty properties like a high-powered magnet. To help curb those issues, NoVA supervisor Captain Aaron Benson has been assigned full-time to finding those dangerous homes and referring codes violations to the City.

”He makes notes of every house that looks dilapidated, unoccupied, unsafe, with weeds overgrown, and he forwards all of those addresses to the City for codes enforcement,” Seever said. “And then he’ll follow up with them to find out what actions they’ve taken on those properties.”

The subject of vacant properties, and the problems that arise from them, has been raised by law enforcement personnel before, including during a sweep of area homeless camps last month. To get a sense for the scope of Benson’s efforts, the Northeast News rode along with him for a short spell earlier this month.

Benson started his career working patrol in the Historic Northeast. To this day, it holds a special place in his heart, making his current assignment a personal affair.

“This is where I started. Just the Northeast neighborhoods, and the area, I like it,” Benson said during the ride-along. “It’s a great melting pot of people.”

At one point, Benson slowed down his vehicle to point out two problem residences which have since been abated. They are clean, freshly mowed, with boards neatly filling the windows. But according to Benson, those are relatively new developments.

“Both of those were heavy into narcotics. They were actually renting there. Sometimes it’s hard for the landlords to get individuals out of those residences,” Benson said. “It’s 100 times better. You can tell now: it’s boarded up, and nobody can get in. I’m sure all these neighbors are ecstatic.”

Benson added that his interactions with the Northeast community have largely been positive.

“I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been told by the community – when we’re just driving up and down the streets – how much they appreciate us being down here, and that they’re noticing changes,” Benson said. “We can help each other. The community, they’re all over it, and they know what’s going on.”

Two years into his stint at NoVA, Benson has grown adept at spotting problem properties. It’s not just overgrown weeds and piles of trash; one of the biggest indicators of an organized criminal element is graffiti. The public display of gang signs is a sign of comfort, and Benson has been working diligently with City codes officers to make the life of a criminal uncomfortable in Northeast Kansas City.

“We also want to get the drug houses out of here. That’s our main focus. We want to handle those houses,” Benson said. “The City has been incredible, and they’ve been very quick in response. I’m very, very happy to see a lot of things moving quickly.”

Want Northeast News articles sent straight to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
Enter your email address and click on the Get Instant Access button.
We respect your privacy

Comments are closed.

  • One dead, three wounded in overnight Avenue shooting.

    December 9th, 2023
    by

    Friday evening at about 9:20 Kansas City, MO Polie Officers were called to the area of Independence Aveue and Cleveland […]


    ‘El acceso al idioma es un derecho humano’, detrás de la campaña de acceso al idioma de Inquilines KC

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Daisy Garcia Montoya  Reportero de educación Inquilinos KC está uniendo fuerzas con el gobierno local e involucrando a los miembros […]


    ‘Language access is a human right’ behind KC Tenant’s language access campaign 

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Daisy Garcia Montoya Education Reporter KC Tenants is joining forces with local government and engaging community members in efforts to create […]


    East High’s Soccer Triumph: A Story of Diversity, Resilience, and Championship Glory

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    EllieAna Hale Reporter On Nov. 18, the East High School Varsity Boys Soccer team showed off impressive skill, determination and […]


    Seven Historic Homes open for Holiday Homes Tour

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Michael Bushnell Reporter After a three year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Pendleton Heights Neighborhood is hosting its Holiday […]


    Work Continues on the Low Bridge Warning Curtain System 

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Michael BushnellPublisher Exploratory holes were drilled last Friday in preparation for the installation of the new warning system scheduled to […]


    Jerry and Virginia Celebrating Seventy Years of Family and Community

    December 6th, 2023
    by

    Mark MoralesContributor  Jerry and Virginia Morales, longtime residents of Northeast’s Sheffield Neighborhood, recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.  Jerry and […]


    Multidisciplinary Task Force aims to reduce crime on the Avenue

    November 30th, 2023
    by

    Michael Bushnell Reporter Representatives from over a dozen city departments were joined by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and City […]


    Holiday Bazaar helps Sheffield Place residents learn skills

    November 29th, 2023
    by

    Dorri Partain Contributor An annual holiday event that showcases the efforts of Historic Northeast’s Sheffield Place also helps the residents learn […]


  • Local Author Catherine Browder Debuts New Novel, The Manning Girl

    November 29th, 2023
    by

    EllieAna HaleReporter  Catherine Browder, a familiar face in the Historic Northeast Neighborhood, reveals her debut novel, The Manning Girl. A […]


    Whatsoever Community Center Launches GoFundMe Campaign After Fire Destroys Building

    November 29th, 2023
    by

    EllieAna HaleReporter Whatsoever Community Center, a center for education and community support since 1915, is recovering from the aftermath of […]


    Keep Loneliness at Bay: A Holiday Guide to Connecting with Others

    November 29th, 2023
    by

    The holiday season is often seen as a time of warmth and connection. However, for many, it can also be […]


    Call for Glass Artists!

    November 29th, 2023
    by

    The Kansas City Museum is excited to participate in a collaboration with the Belger Glass Annex, which has been invited […]


    Its Giving Tuesday, Support your Northeast News

    November 28th, 2023
    by

    Dear readers, In this week’s Print edition, our News team covered stories spotlighting  Sheffield Place residents learning microenterprise skills through […]


    Hit and Run near Independence Ave and Kensington claims one life

    November 26th, 2023
    by

    UPDATE: The victim in this case has been identified as 24-year old Taahir S. Whaley of Kansas City, Missouri. Sunday […]


    Northeast Coalition Unveils Unified Demands for City’s Low-Barrier Shelter Proposal

    November 22nd, 2023
    by

    EllieAna HaleReporter In a second meeting held on November 14th, facilitated by 3rd District City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, held at […]


    This Kansas City theater company is creating space for ‘the next of LGBTQ playwrights’

    November 22nd, 2023
    by

    Taylor WilmoreStartland News Kansas City’s theater scene should be a safe and comfortable space, said Kevin King, detailing his effort […]


    Most Missouri families can’t rely on public transit to get their kids to Head Start

    November 22nd, 2023
    by

    Jodi FortinoKCUR Reporter In Missouri, just under 25% of its Head Start centers are within a walkable distance from a […]


  • Postcard


  • Remember This?

    Remember This?

    December 6th, 2023
    by

  • Want articles sent directly to your inbox each week? Subscribe below!
    We respect your privacy and will not distribute your information.