Northeast News
January 9, 2011

An urban legend has been circulating around Kansas City and one officer is trying to put it to a stop. In a recent email, Central Patrol’s Community Interaction Officer James Schriever cleared up a rumor about gang wannabees and their attack on women. Below is his email:

“You may have recently received an e-mail or seen a flier about supposed “gang initiations” in Kansas City.

These e-mails and fliers are particularly directed at women and warn them against eggs on their windshield or carseats with baby dolls in them on the side of the road. They say if you stop and get out of your car to inspect, gang wannabes or robbers will attack you, and they say these things are happening in Kansas City. THIS IS NOT TRUE.

There have been absolutely no reports of anyone getting robbed or raped or beaten after they stopped to wipe egg off their windshield or to inspect a carseat left on the side of the road. (Nor have we heard of any eggs on moving cars or carseats with fake babies in them on roadways.) Variations on this urban legend include criminals hiding underneath cars to attack women or preying on women at Wal-Mart stores. Other messages say criminals play a recording of a baby crying outside a woman’s window to lure her out to attack her.

None of these things are true, but for some reason or another, people continue to forward them to others and incite unfounded fear and paranoia.

If there is a significant threat to the safety of the public or a particular crime pattern, I can assure you that KCPD will get the word out about it as quickly as possible.

In the mean time, if you see a message about any of the afore-mentioned “gang initiation” tactics, simply delete it or throw it away.

Also at any time, you can check www.snopes.com  to learn more about these urban legends prior to forwarding.”