Yet, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department (KCPD) worked diligently to identify violent criminals and to get justice for those who were killed – with technology resources provided by the Police Foundation of Kansas City.

Based on the FBI’s Uniform Crime Rate (UCR) standard, the KCPD homicide clearance rate for 2020 was 73%. That’s up significantly from 2019, when it was 55%. Compare this with the St. Louis clearance rate of 36% (as of September 2020) and the national average of 61%. And not only has the clearance rate increased, but the time from violent crime incident to clearance has remarkably decreased. The median number of days from incident to clearance in 2017 was 68 days. This same calibration for 2020 dropped to 11 days. That means instead of it taking 68 days for our community to have a homicide suspect still in our neighborhoods, KCPD has reduced this median to 11 days. That is a difference of 57 days that these criminals are no longer able to threaten the safety of our neighborhoods. The timing of this reduction also coincides with the initiation of the Police Foundation funded High Crime Area Project.

Why is the Kansas City clearance rate better than the national average? Technology and foresight.

Since being named KCMO Chief of Police, Rick Smith has prioritized violent crime reduction and with the support of the Police Foundation of
Kansas City, technology has assisted the KCPD in attaining a higher clearance rate annually. Requesting technology equipment and investing in training KCPD to use the equipment and software has offered great efficiencies. “The police department would not be as effective as it is without the technology and equipment provisions that the Police Foundation provides.” says Smith.

Yet, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department needs more equipment and more software because crime continues to rise. “The Police Foundation’s equipment and technology investment is supporting the Department and emerging technologies hold incredible promise for future capabilities to prevent and effectively intervene against violent and serious crime and the networks that perpetrate such crime,” says Tye Grant, President/CEO, Police Foundation of Kansas City. Kansas City’s homicide increase is devastating in our community. Fathers, brothers, sons, mothers, sisters and daughters lost their lives to senseless violence, inflicting untold trauma on families.

With your continued support, the Police Foundation will seek to provide support for unbudgeted but vitally needed technology resources for the KCPD as they fight violent crime on our behalf.