By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
December 24, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — A second group enforcement action that was initiated Tuesday, Dec. 16, by the Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA) resulted in nearly 20 arrests and other law enforcement actions, including finding severe code violations at two properties associated with KC group members’ criminal activity.

As part of Operation Halo, Kansas City Police Department officers, members of the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, DART inspectors and other law enforcement officials focused on members of two feuding Kansas City groups recently connected to violence, according to Major Joe McHale, project manager of KC NoVA. Seventeen city and state arrest warrants were served, as 20 residences were checked and two residences were found to have code violations that resulted in the residences being deemed as uninhabitable.

Group enforcements are a key focus of the KC NoVA effort to reduce violence in Kansas City. Members of groups associated with violence are told before any enforcement that KC NoVA can offer them services and other help. They are also warned that if anyone in their group is associated with violence, an enforcement action will result against all members of their group.

The second group enforcement action by KC NoVA focused on violent groups or groups associated with a specific act of violence in the southern metro area. Earlier this month, a similar group enforcement action called Operation Ice Melt focused in the Northeast area of Kansas City, Mo. The first operation resulted in nearly 55 arrests, including 13 new criminal cases for drug possession and tampering, resisting arrest, first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon. Two criminal cases from Operation Ice Melt were also submitted to federal prosecutors and nine properties were closed and posted by Jackson County DART (Drug Abatement Response Team) because of numerous code violations that rendered the properties uninhabitable. Any illegal utility or cable hookups are also being investigated.

Several members from the group Mothers in Charge joined the KCPD on the enforcement action, going door-to-door to spread the word of their organization. According to its website, the group mission is, “is violence prevention, education and intervention for youth, young adults, families and community organizations.” They encouraged resident to work with community leaders and law enforcement to reduce violence in our community.

Rosilyn Temple, a member of the organization, said they want to see change in 2015. Temple, who lost her son to senseless violence, said no mother deserves to bury her child. Members of the organization went door-to-door to spread the message that relaying information to the police isn’t snitching, it’s about witnessing a crime and saving a neighborhood.

“I don’t want anyone else to feel this pain,” Temple said.

Major Joe McHale said the goal of KC NoVA is to ensure swift and certain consequences for any person and their associates who fail to heed warnings to stay away from violence. The most important deterrence is demonstrating that consequences are certain to follow if you or someone in your group is associated with violence.

KC NoVA is a collaboration of law enforcement and community leaders, including Police Chief Darryl Forte’, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, Mayor Sly James, U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson and UMKC Chancellor Leo Morton. KC NoVA targets reductions in violent crime in Kansas City, especially homicides.