Smash & Grab

[elextendo]

Drove through what used to be SOHO South parking(walnut & 16th) lot Sunday morning..I counted 10 piles of glass from car window smashing..Has anyone noticed quite a bit more of this since the P&L has gone in?..What if anything are they doing about the crimes committed outside there development? Should they patrol the area as well? I personally see no more police presence than before the rebirth of downtown(except in Cordishland)..

[dangerboy]

A few days ago the Star reported an outbreak of this all over the metro area.  It's mostly dumb people leaving valuables in their cars, usually in plain sight of anyone walking by.

[cknab1]

When the Wife and I walked down to the P&L Art show Saturday there was a car on Grand about 16th street that had the passenger window knocked out.  I know no one should leave any thing in sight of passerbys, but the police presence is a joke.  The few I saw at the Art show were in a corner on their cell phones.  This should really be unacceptable to people.  Both the crime and police response to it.

[Tosspot]

A few days ago the Star reported an outbreak of this all over the metro area.  It's mostly dumb people leaving valuables in their cars, usually in plain sight of anyone walking by.

Let's not blame the victims now.

[KCPowercat]

we could double our police force and not stop these thefts...they take abou 30 seconds to complete.  protect yourself, don't leave anything in sight anywhere in your car.

did somebody actually just try and blame this on the p&l district?  seriously.  the blanket hatred some have for this area would be laughable if it wasn't so sad....especially considering who these posters claim they represent.

[kcmetro]

we could double our police force and not stop these thefts...they take abou 30 seconds to complete.  protect yourself, don't leave anything in sight anywhere in your car. hang out downtown.

[KCPowercat]

well theft from my personal vehicle has only happened twice.  both times items left in view in the car, neither time anywhere close to what people would consider a "downtown area". (manhattan, ks & lenexa, ks)

[voltopt]

Drove through what used to be SOHO South parking(walnut & 16th) lot Sunday morning..I counted 10 piles of glass from car window smashing..Has anyone noticed quite a bit more of this since the P&L has gone in?..What if anything are they doing about the crimes committed outside there development? Should they patrol the area as well? I personally see no more police presence than before the rebirth of downtown(except in Cordishland)..

I used to live at 15th and Walnut, and there were many incidents of car break ins before the Power and Light District showed up, but it certainly increased since February.  I wouldn't blame it entirely on the district - the shootings, carjackings, and smash and grabs that occured around there were happening before the District turned on - but I think it has brought some opportunists downtown.  I typically left my vehicle unlocked - and I purposefully drive a ratty vehicle that noone would want or be able to drive.  One night a fellow slept in my car - which is fine - but he didnt' take anything, because there wasn't anything to take, except a couple of cigarette butts.  My fiance wasn't so lucky  - one night about a year ago two windows in her car were smashed, and two of her tires were slashed.  It happened to four cars in the parking lot at 16th and main, so I don't think it was personal, but they didn't take anything.  
We didn't move because of car property crime - I personally am not attached to my vehicle and understand that it is a mode of transportation, and that it will be damaged at some point in its life cycle (and that it will never be an investment, just a loss) we moved to save money and get away from the suburban yahoos who were driving the wrong way down Walnut every night and drunkenly yelling and fighting.  Just kidding - we moved to save money.  We are in Dutch Hill now, which according to the Downtown Council is part of downtown, but as a resident I don't really see how it could be considered that, as its about 2 miles from 12th and Main.

[WSPanic]

If you leave anything of value in your car in plain sight - you are asking to get it stolen. Where ever you are. Happened to me with a small CD case at 39th/Bell.

Nothing police can really do about small crimes like this. Should we dedicate one officer to patrol every surface lot/street parking spot in the city?

[DaveKCMO]

take the bus.

but yeah, there is no more police presence downtown than there ever was -- except for the district. a good reason to lobby for those 20 new officers in next year's budget.

i will also note that P+L gets an awful lot of attention from the fire department. i have personally witnessed fire trucks circling the Live block on multiple occasions.

[nota]

A few days ago the Star reported an outbreak of this all over the metro area.  It's mostly dumb people leaving valuables in their cars, usually in plain sight of anyone walking by.

Why blame the victims??? A person should be able to leave his wallet on the front porch if parents had taught their children right from wrong.

Criminals are criminals plain and simple. It's their fault for their actions and no one else's.

That said, I don't leave valuables in my car either. But I should be able to if I choose.

[KCPowercat]

I have noticed more police and private security after-hours all around the district.  kcpd added bike patrol as well.

I don't see the # of safety officers as an issue...seems to be about right.  still not going to stop thefts from autos.

[voltopt]

take the bus.

Exactly.  

[voltopt]

I have noticed more police and private security after-hours all around the district.  kcpd added bike patrol as well.

I don't see the # of safety officers as an issue...seems to be about right.  still not going to stop thefts from autos.

Before I moved out of Truman and Walnut, I witnessed mounted patrol trotting down walnut the wrong way to probably about 18 or 19th street, on a Sunday night at 9pm.  They were definitely patrolling, because they came back up the street a half hour later or so...

[WSPanic]

Why blame the victims??? A person should be able to leave his wallet on the front porch if parents had taught their children right from wrong.

Criminals are criminals plain and simple. It's their fault for their actions and no one else's.

That said, I don't leave valuables in my car either. But I should be able to if I choose.

I blame the victims because they put themselves in a position to be victims - and then start crying when someone turns them into a victim. Yes, in a perfect world, I should be able to sleep unmolested in my front yard with $100 taped to my forehead. That's not the reality of life.

And I know some wonderful parents who have done all they can to teach their children right from wrong. And you know what? Sometimes those kids still turn out bad.

I know it wouldn't be an official KCRag thread without you passing judgement on someone, but the answer isn't always "bad parenting." I would say the parents who raise their kids to leave their wallets laying on the front seat of their car have done just as bad a job of preparing their kids for life.

[dangerboy]

Why blame the victims??? A person should be able to leave his wallet on the front porch if parents had taught their children right from wrong.

Are you serious? 

[ComandanteCero]

sometimes this stuff happens even without leaving something inside, i had my passenger side window smashed without having anything in there (when i lived in St. Louis).  Nothing was taken because i had nothing in the car.... i was mystified as to why in the world someone would be such a dick as to smash the window before checking to see if there was something they wanted in the first place.

My guess is they popped open the glove compartment hoping to find something.... but i didn't have anything there either.  So i just ended up with 300 dollars worth of glass to replace 

[dangerboy]

sometimes this stuff happens even without leaving something inside, i had my passenger side window smashed without having anything in there

That's easy... Enough stupid people try to hide valuables in their cars that it is worth 30 seconds of thief's time to smash the window and see if there is anything under the seat or in the glove compartment.

[drumatix]

Hmmm... Friday and Saturday nights could be just the time to pull this sort of robbery off. Lots of people around, and half of the police who are on duty are busy with roadblocks around Westport.

I've noticed the same piles of glass on 39th street, in the parking lot just West of Saigon 39. Probably 20(ish) windows were knocked out there...

[elextendo]

Im curious how many are reported to the police or insurance..This would answser  the question for more cops on the beat..THEY NEED TO BE REPORTED