Crisis over missing women is a chance for Kansas City police to listen, build trust
The reported kidnapping and rape of a woman who escaped her alleged abductor earlier this month has left young Black women in Kansas City worried about their safety, and community members questioning whether Kansas City police adequately investigated claims of other Black women going missing or murdered.
The police have dismissed those claims, saying no bodies have been found, and no reports of missing women have been filed recently.
From here, the situation could go in one of two directions: Either the police and the community revert to old habits, going to their respective corners feeling misunderstood and unappreciated — or both sides could try a different tack.
A crisis like this could become an opportunity for the Kansas City Police Department and the community to restore some trust between the two. Police could speak directly to the community about what specific steps have been taken to investigate the claims of missing women. Opening up and discussing the challenges of such a case could show the community that KCPD is listening and wants to protect them and calm fears.
Police cannot do their job without the cooperation of community members. Similarly, that cooperation depends on whether residents believe police actions reflect community values and the principles of procedural justice and legitimacy.
When community members first began spreading the word about missing Black women, after a video claiming (without any proof) a serial killer was loose in Kansas City began circulating on social media, police dismissed the concerns as “rumor” that was “unfounded.”
Days later, a Black woman escaped from an Excelsior Springs house where she said she had been kidnapped, raped and abused for weeks. Timothy Haslett, Jr., who lived in the house, has been arrested and charged with kidnapping and rape.
His arrest, to the community, fed assumptions that police don’t care enough when Black women go missing. We know that tens of thousands of Black girls and women disappear every year, and those cases often don’t make headlines.
KCPD Chief Mabin needs community’s help
Interim Police Chief Joseph Mabin said KCPD is beefing up patrols in the neighborhoods where community members have said abductions may have occurred, and that’s a good first step.
He also acknowledged the anger toward police.
“We hear you loud and clear,” Mabin said. “We feel your anger. We understand why you would be upset. However, these rumors are not true.”
But anger doesn’t solve crimes, and police need help from the community on this case, as with all major crimes. If anyone in the community has information that women are missing, then they need to give police the names of these women and where they disappeared from.
That’s how cases get solved. That’s how trust can begin to be restored.
The woman who escaped from the Excelsior Springs house was never reported missing, police said. After her escape, the woman said there were two other female victims.
Excelsior Springs police, who are leading the investigation with help from other law enforcement agencies, have not confirmed additional victims, Excelsior Springs Police Chief Greg Dull told The Star’s editorial board.
With Haslett now in custody, “women are not in danger of being victimized by him,” Dull said, adding, “I can’t speak to any other issues in Kansas City that may be a cause for concern regarding women’s safety.”
History underlies this case. Kansas Citians have claimed before that a serial killer was killing women on the East Side — and turned out to be right. Terry Blair was convicted in 2008 of six murders. And given a long record of mistrust, it’s no surprise that members of the Black community believe police might ignore their claims that Black women are going missing.
Police should recognize the fear now rampant in their community. They should take it as an opportunity to communicate with the community, plainly and regularly, as this investigation — and all others — continues.
