Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City’s crime rates, most notably those of violent crimes, continue to rank among the worst of similarly-sized U.S. cities. East Patrol District, home to 82,585 inner city residents, has a homicide rate of almost twice the city average and more than 10 times the national average at 56.9 homicides per 100,000 residents. Consequently, the community’s confidence in its local criminal justice system has eroded. With such high rates of violent crime, police commanders sought to find innovative ways to reduce violent crime, prevent victimization, and save lives without contributing to mass incarceration. Kansas City has experience implementing evidence-based practices and approaches, specifically focused deterrence. The Kansas City SPI team worked to implement a hot spot network experiment to reduce violence.