Kansas City’s had 85 homicides so far in 2023. Omaha’s had 1. Here’s how we copy them | Opinion

Klassie Alcine quietly slipped out of the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Omaha late last week. She needed a moment to herself. She was there with almost 40 others from the Kansas City area for the Empowerment Network’s 16th annual Rebuilding the Village conference. On the second day of the three-day event, the woman who is the face of Kansas City’s latest community-led crime prevention initiative was on center stage.

For Alcine, CEO and president of anti-violence nonprofit KC Common Good, the emotion of the moment was surreal. Who could blame her? Minutes before, Alcine had presented her group’s vision for reducing the violent crime rate in Kansas City.

Talk about a heavy lift.

And most would agree with her: We need a comprehensive, cooperative, long-term approach to fight the ridiculous homicide rate plaguing our city. Heading into the weekend, we were at a record pace for killings, according to data maintained by The Kansas City Star.

As of Monday, Kansas City had recorded 85 homicides, a terrifying number of deaths as we head into the summer months, traditionally one of the city’s deadliest stretches.

At this point last year, the second deadliest on record with 171 killings, the count was at 69. In 2020, 182 people were killed, the most homicides recorded in a year. With 157, 2021 was the third-deadliest on record.

By contrast, Omaha has seen just one homicide through the first four months of this year, according to officials. Last year, killings decreased for the second consecutive year. In 2022, 30 homicides were recorded, two fewer than in 2021.

There will be no quick fix to end violent crime, anti-violence advocates in Omaha told us. But as a delegation of elected officials from Kansas City and other policymakers and members of law enforcement learned during the Rebuilding the Village conference, incremental and sustainable change is possible.

Police seen as partners with community

The Omaha-based Empowerment Network is led by its founder and president, Willie Barney. The organization uses a collaborative approach to address issues in that city. One of its crown jewels is Omaha 360, the city’s community-led violence intervention and prevention program. Omaha’s police are seen as partners with the community, something we all want in Kansas City.

Over the course of three days, Barney repeatedly commended Kansas City’s fight to end the gun carnage. KC Common Good’s new anti-violence program, KC 360, is modeled after the Omaha version. Last year, we became one of seven cities to implement the model. This year, the number of cities with similar crime fighting initiatives grew to 23, Barney said — and Kansas City is positioned to answer the call.

KC 360’s community-first approach to reduce gun violence makes sense. As we see in Omaha, building stronger police-community relations is crucial. In Kansas City, too many organizations and agencies work in silos, anti-crime advocates admit. Everyone wants to reduce the homicide rate. But unlike in Omaha, the fight here is often uncoordinated, local activists said. Young lives are at stake. We can no longer afford not to work under the same umbrella.

Omaha 360 operates under five pillars: prevention, intervention, enforcement support, reentry programs for ex-offenders and other support services. Data shows the system works. This spring, Omaha celebrated 134 days without a homicide, its longest streak in 20 years, officials said.

Over a 15-year period, Omaha cut its shooting and homicide rate by 74%, and increased its solved homicide rate from 30% to 80%, according to Omaha 360 officials. Deadly police shootings decreased during that time, too, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said.

The city’s anti-violence program is being copied across the country from Sacramento to Rochester, New York, according to conference attendees we met.

But the work is ongoing and must be collaborative. Mayors and city managers come and go, as do police chiefs, Barney said. Administrations change. But the mission to reduce gun violence remains the same in Omaha.

Studies have shown a lack of access to basic resources and well-paying jobs lead to crime. To lower violence and provide opportunities for gainful employment and stable housing and education, Kansas City must stay the course.

Former police officer: Violence has financial, human costs

On Thursday, Alcine made a a quick wardrobe change after her presentation. She boarded a bus to tour the Empowerment Network’s Village Empowerment Center, a community resource center and job training site for teens. We joined, wanting to get a firsthand account of the work being done on the ground to prevent violence in Omaha.

Alcine sees striking similarities between the two cities. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come in a year,” she said. “It’s hard to put in words.”

On the bus, Alcine was jovial. She sat next to John Hamilton, a retired Kansas City police officer. He is associate professor emeritus of criminal justice at Park University. Along with Ken Novak, a criminologist at UMKC, Hamilton looked at the economic impact of reducing violent crime in Kansas City. It’s easy to overlook the financial cost tied to violence, Hamilton said — but the human cost is fairly obvious, as too many young people die needlessly in our city.

Kansas City has committed to spending $30 million over five years on crime prevention initiatives. Those funds will help KC 360 organize other community-based nonprofits such as Ad Hoc Group Against Crime and KC Mothers in Charge take a more unified approach to reducing violent crime.

But the City Council cannot ignore the need to fund internal initiatives like the Kansas City Health Department’s Aim4Peace Violence Prevention Program, whose budget and street outreach have declined in recent years. On a positive note, Aim4Peace was awarded a $2 million grant by the U.S. Department of Justice in April.

Magic Johnson: Give young people opportunities

On the final day in Omaha, NBA Hall of Fame player, entrepreneur and philanthropist Earvin “Magic” Johnson — the conference’s keynote speaker — invited Kansas City’s contingent to a private room inside Omaha’s CHI Health Center arena and convention center for a photo opp. Johnson met the Kansas Citians with patience and kindness, posing for pictures well after arena management ushered folks out.

During his time on stage, Johnson challenged Kansas City and other cities not only to follow Omaha’s lead, but to go further to provide opportunities for young people.

Challenge accepted, Alcine and others with local ties told us. We are in the anti-crime fighting game for the long haul, they said

Omaha got results cutting its homicide rate by investing in its youth and aging infrastructure. Kansas City must do the same. We’re heartsick each time we hear of a young person’s premature death. So far this year, 29 people 24 or younger have been killed in our city.

Disinvestment in distressed areas such as the Santa Fe or Oak Park neighborhoods can no longer be an option. Omaha’s strategy to empower neglected communities can work here. Community buy-in starts at the neighborhood level. Leaders at City Hall and area anti-crime orgs have put their money on the table. The business community must also play an active role. Developing strong public-private partnerships is critical in this fight. And perhaps most of all, the police must show they’re in this together with the people they serve.

Want to reduce violence in Kansas City? Omaha showed us the model: Provide young people in the urban core with opportunities to take care of themselves, their families and their futures.