In late August, the Brookside community was rocked by the fatal shooting of Shaun Brady, co-owner of local restaurant Brady & Fox, as he was taking out the trash behind his restaurant. His death brought concerns about local safety front of mind for many residents.
According to Freedom for All Americans, Kansas City is only safer than one percent of other U.S. cities, and is one of the 100 most dangerous cities in the country. Our murder rate is the 7th highest in the nation. There have been 7,553 violent crimes and 24,623 property crimes reported so far in 2024.
For years, Kansas City’s crime rates have far outpaced many other major cities, but in recent months many residents have perceived a spike in crimes. Many of these incidents have been reported through platforms such as Nextdoor.
STA students have certainly not been deaf to the chatter, although their immediate concerns tend to focus more on property crime.
Senior Lucy Filing has experienced car break-ins six times, at both of her parents’ houses in the Brookside area.
“My car just kept getting broken into,” Filing said. “I’d walk out in the morning, sometimes even later in the evening, and I would find that someone had been in my car. It’s such a scary feeling knowing that someone besides yourself has been [there].”
The first break-in occurred last fall, which Filing discovered on her way to morning volleyball practice. Most recently, her car was broken into at the end of last summer.
“[I’m] heading out to work out with my mom, and I walk out and see in my passenger side…[that] just all the papers in my glove box are thrown out,” Filing said. “My lights are still on in my car because the door was left open. And [I’m] like, ‘What the heck?’ so I go get my mom. We walk around the car [and] make sure no one’s there. And then I just start making sure that they didn’t take any of my papers and everything.”
Because she doesn’t keep valuable items in her car, Filing reported no missing items, save one.
“Luckily, there was nothing in my car to start with, besides my $5 sunglasses,” Filing said. “They did end up taking those, but [the] joke’s on them; they were $5 at Target.”
Filing also reported other cases of vehicle theft and break-ins in her neighborhood. She advises students to be vigilant.
“It’s not so much car break-in[s] [that are] dangerous, but if you run into the person, that can be,” Filing said. “So [be] aware of your surroundings and know when to just stay back.”
Government teacher Robert Flynn has also heard the chatter about crime in the area. In particular, his students have raised concerns.
“That first week of class, so many hands shot up of people whose cars have been broken into [and stolen] in the Brookside-Waldo area,” Flynn said.
He attributes the rise in crime to multiple factors, among them the structure of the police department.
“They’re not really accountable to us: the citizens or residents or taxpayers of Kansas City, Missouri,” Flynn said. “They’re accountable mostly to the governor, who’s accountable to the whole state.”
The Kansas City Star echoes his statement: “Kansas City is the only city in Missouri that does not directly control its police force,” the newspaper points out in a September 6th article. “A five-member board of police commissioners oversees the department. The governor appoints four while Mayor Quinton Lucas fills the remaining spot.”
The department is also understaffed, as highlighted by recent discussion over a decision to send 30 officers to Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention.
According to The Kansas City Star, “Some activists question why the department chose to assist the political convention when the department is down about 300 officers.”
“There aren’t the people to do the jobs,” Flynn said. “It’s a really big problem.”
The STA campus has made its own adaptations to security concerns.
“I know we’ve had a lot of new security measures, like trying to put the gate up [and] have a new parking lot to increase campus security,” Flynn said. “Just like more security guards, things like that.”
As always, common sense prevails: students are encouraged to lock their cars, not leave valuables inside vehicles (especially in plain sight), and pay attention to their surroundings.