Reducing Homicides: Begin at the Beginning
GGS Monthly Meeting & Program
Monday, July 24
4:00 – 5:30 pm
Colonial Church in Prairie Village, 7039 Mission Road
An escalating toll of gun homicides continues plaguing Kansas City, putting the city on pace to record its deadliest year ever. And summer, traditionally a violent season with temperatures and tempers rising, has only just begun.
What has also started is a renewed effort by city, federal and nonprofit leaders to join forces in a combined effort to stop homicides before they start.
Join us next Monday to hear Melesa Johnson, KCMO’s recently named Director of Public Safety, discuss Partners for Peace and Darren Faulkner, Program Manager for KC Common Good, outline each agency’s role in convening many community organizations to work together. Officer Rick Jones, a member of the recently-formed KCPD Community Engagement Division, will explain how being physically visible in the community can build life-saving relationships.
The speakers will focus on how reducing the homicide rate begins with improving the lives of people often ensnared in cycles of violence. Poverty, lack of educational opportunities, unemployment and underemployment form a toxic mix that can lead to gun violence and end in homicide.
Nationally, homicides account for one-third of the lives lost to gun violence each year. In 2022, 49,000 lives were lost, with 171 in KCMO. That was the city’s second deadliest year for homicides.
So join us Monday July 24 to learn what’s underway in the metro area to reduce homicides. Bring a friend to educate, too.
Grandparents for Gun Safety Virtual Meeting
July 24th 2023
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