Michael Bushnell
Northeast News
April 16, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Protecting the community is the number one priority in the Northeast. When a rash of burglaries recently hit the area, residents decided not to sit idly by.

On Wednesday evening, over 150 people packed the St. Anthony’s Church to discuss a string of brazen residential burglaries that have plagued the North Gladstone Boulevard corridor over the last few weeks. Hosted by the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association and the St. Anthony’s Parish, residents from almost every Northeast neighborhood attended to hear what Kansas City Police and community members are doing to insure the safety of the neighborhood.

East Patrol Public Information Officer Jason Cooley first addressed prevention methods for homeowners to undertake that could reduce the risk of burglars hiding somewhere around the exterior of the home. Trimming bushes back to two feet or less and trimming trees at least six feet up were two security suggestions that could lessen the risk of any burglars hiding in the yard after dark. Cooley noted that 90 percent of crime takes place in poorly lit areas. Lighting, locks, and landscaping, he said, all play a role in deterring crime.

“If that doesn’t work and you’re face to face with an intruder in your residence, arm yourself,” Cooley said. He then listed a number of regular household items that could be used in a close encounter with a home intruder. “Wasp spray, picture frames, books, canned goods, anything to put distance between you and the intruder.”

Property Crimes Detective Ron Orr indicated that a person of interest has been identified in the crimes but due to the ongoing investigation, no further details were offered in regards to suspect information. Captain Derek McCollum reassured residents that they were not alone in this fight.

“We’re devoting every resource we have to working and solving these crimes so nobody ends up getting hurt,” McCollum said.

Sergeant Ron Dillonkoffer, who works the area during the afternoon and evening hours, noted the importance of calling 911 whenever suspicious activity is witnessed and if possible, leave contact information for the officers to follow up on.

“Obviously we don’t want the caller to compromise their safety, but if they can give our officers additional information by phone that might help solve a crime, by all means we’d like to talk with them,” Dillonkoffer noted.

Most residents were impressed at the number of people in attendance and the proactivity of the police working with neighborhood association representatives to resolve the issue.

“I think it speaks volumes about our community,” Jessie Mathews, who lives in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood, said. “We’re willing to come together and address the issue as a group instead of pretending the problem doesn’t exist like they do in the burbs.”

Leslie Caplan, Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association president said she hopes that last night’s meeting inspires people to get out from behind their front door or walk past the boundaries of their property and get to know the names and the habits of the people on their block.

“It is incumbent upon each of us to be the eyes and ears of the community and recognize when something is not right,” Caplan said.