City Hall Ignored Warnings Ahead Of Toxic Homeless Camp Homicide

The fight against homelessness in Kansas City has taken a tragic turn this week and urban core leaders are discouraged by continued silence from 12th & Oak.

First let's share a bit more background and what we know about the killing so far . . .

Here's a great round-up . . .

KCPD investigating after man is fatally shot near Independence & The Paseo

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- The Kansas City Police Department is investigating yet another homicide. According to the police, it happened in the area of Independence and The Paseo just before 2 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a man who had been shot. He was taken to a local hospital where he was declared deceased.

Since this report we've heard that authorities are having a hard time IDing the body.

What's worse is that investigators are confronting silence amongst the denizens of the camp for fear of reprisals.

Again, it's worth noting that we reported the toxic threat of this camp earlier in the year along with a less than enthusiastic response from the city manager. 

Those concerns were confirmed by a commendable KCUR follow-up.  

Throughout this year we've also noted that crime near homeless camps and housing efforts has spiked. 

Let's not forget that homeless motel housing effort was also plagued by crime.

Neighborhood leaders also report that earlier this Summer a denizen of the homeless camp was the victim of a horrific stabbing incident . . . His throat was cut and the poor guy bled up and down Independence Ave. before emergency services arrived.

On the record . . . 

A nearby institution warned of an EXISTENTIAL threat because the homeless situation in this part of town has spiraled out of control.

In the aftermath of this week's homeless camp homicide, one of the first replies sent our way confirms the premise of this post . . .

Folks in Columbus Park and Northeast raised numerous concerns about these camps *months* ago. This is what happens when your response to any effort to hold the city and the "unhoused" accountable is "oKaY bOoMeR!!1!"

After months of outcry about the camp the only significant change has been city hall offering signage to protect illicit campers.

Accordingly . . . 

We reached out to trusted Kansas City leaders and here's a scathing response directed at Mayor Q and city hall . . . 

"Our neighborhoods have been forsaken by this administration. Tell me one thing Mayor Quinton Lucas has accomplished in his term? Even his advocacy for the homeless has now backfired. He has created this dangerous situation - A culture of criminality at homeless camps. They have become criminal training schools where drugs, sex assault and property crime are rampant. It's a travesty that the mayor's activism for the homeless has done nothing but make this crisis even worse . . . Especially when there's PPE money that could be directed to reputable organizations with a history of helping the homeless. Meanwhile, the "solutions" from city hall clearly aren't working . . . Mayor Q has thrown a few scraps to the homeless camps and burdened neighborhoods with a threat that's just getting worse."

And so the countdown begins . . .

HOW LONG WILL MAYOR Q AND CITY HALL ALLOW A TOXIC AND NOW DEADLY HOMELESS CAMP TO PERSIST?!?

Sadly, despite advocacy which insists "Kansas City is kind and supports the homeless" . . . It took some poor guy getting killed to spark change and garner attention from the current administration.

Developing . . .