Grand Blvd Closures

[AllThingsKC]

We just had a nation-wide "defund the police" movement. So the staffing issues we're seeing now aren't that surprising.

[phuqueue]

Except the police didn't actually get defunded, but sure

[AllThingsKC]

But I suspect the movement overall discouraged people from becoming police officers. Thus, I think it has to be at least part of the reason for the current staffing shortages.

But on the other hand, a lot of places are short staffed these days, not just the police. So what do I know?

[FangKC]

The Mayor and City Council do not control the KCPD. They have no ability to affect staffing or policy, other than to complain to the police board and the chief of police. The Mayor is the only member automatically on the board. All others are appointed by the governor. The Mayor doesn't have any power on that board. The Mayor is just one member. All the mayor can do is complain.

It is true that police staffing is very low. It's a nationwide problem.

Staffing shortages cause for concern among law enforcement agencies nationwide

...
The number of new officer hirings was down 3.9% in 2021 compared to 2019, according to a national survey earlier this year from the Police Executive Research Forum.

The survey found that there were 23.6% more retirements among law enforcement in 2021 compared to 2019. There were also 42.7% more resignations among law enforcement in 2021 compared to 2019 as well. The uptick in retirements and resignations were driven in party by low pay, the survey determined.
...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-off ... ationwide/

There have also been problems filling all public-sector jobs.

...
But in the same places where police officers are scarce, recruiters are having a hard time finding firefighters, bus drivers and other government workers, The Marshall Project found. Employment numbers show that Americans have been slowly opting out of all local government jobs over the last few years.
...

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023 ... bs-decline

[WoodDraw]

That gas station is sketchy as fuck as well. There's normally a police officer there at night so I wonder if that is where the "off duty" call came from.

Cars just come there and park and people sit on the brick wall harassing people walking by.

I wish we could change that whole area.

I was gone for a long weekend and there was a shooting here and a stabbing on main. I try to defend KC but everyone was like is where you live safe?

[KCPowercat]

Off duty cop call came from 1501 based on news report

[brewcrew1000]

That gas station is sketchy as fuck as well. There's normally a police officer there at night so I wonder if that is where the "off duty" call came from.

Cars just come there and park and people sit on the brick wall harassing people walking by.

I wish we could change that whole area.

I was gone for a long weekend and there was a shooting here and a stabbing on main. I try to defend KC but everyone was like is where you live safe?

Isn't that what was happening in Westport also? You would have people hanging out in the Sunfresh parking lot harassing and fighting in the parking lot. Seems like such a small place to do that at the gas station

[WoodDraw]

I feel like the solution is to revoke their liquor license. But I don't know the procedures for doing that.

[im2kull]

Someone must be listening because it's been like a whole week now since Grand was closed for no reason. In fact, over the weekend the street was wide open.. with.. a KCPD PATROL SUV.. Parked.. right in the middle of the road the entire time. No shenanigans observed. Obviously the "Keep it simple" method works. No closures needed. Just enforcement and deterrence.

[FangKC]

They could probably park a decommissioned patrol car there without an officer in it, providing much of the same result.

[WoodDraw]

I walked home on grand just because it’s the grand boulevard of the Americas. So we should see what it’s like.

There weren’t any police. I take that back, there was what I assume was an off duty officer at the gas station.

Everyone else was just was playing in the streets. Lots of wheelies, sideshows, fun noises. I didn’t see any flags on them.

I did see someone called a cunt though and told to lift up her shirt.

I’m can’t remember what part of the Americas that was at though.

[WoodDraw]

Can’t imagine why we don’t get more tourists.

[KCPowercat]

Blocked last night for a chubby church singer guy which delayed my MAX bus. Not blocked today though so guess that's nice not doing entire weekends for no reason.

[DColeKC]

Blocked last night for a chubby church singer guy which delayed my MAX bus. Not blocked today though so guess that's nice not doing entire weekends for no reason.

Grand is still closed every weekend at 6pm. Opens back up very early but I’m not sure what time. Police have started parking out there too in effort to prevent motorcycle and 4-wheeler groups from using the road as an exhibition venue.

This will be the way until the city and partners decide on a long term fix that makes everyone happy. I’m being told there are active conversations between city, PD, PNL and T-Mobile center.

[DColeKC]

Moving forward, Grand will only be closed for Arena events or events being held directly on Grand. They're going to try some other tactics like parking PD out there but it won't be long before we see the return of the dangerous activity unless further measures are taken.

[WoodDraw]

The return? it never left cordish just pushed it down the road to the crossroads.

[DColeKC]

The return? it never left cordish just pushed it down the road to the crossroads.

Ok…. Maybe they should have done something about it. Cordish didn’t push anything anywhere. They do what they must to keep their neighborhood safe. They can only control what they control.

[WoodDraw]

I agree with you here, and I don’t blame cordish entirely. At the end of the day they’re not a police force. Closing their streets is a logical choice if given to you.

Just the rest of us don’t have the option.

I think in this thread we’re conflating two different things a bit which is the closure of grand (and occasionally walnut) to the knock on issues. And of course the future park.

[DColeKC]

It’s also nearly impossible to talk about the core issue of why the disturbing actions of a few are allowed to plague our neighborhoods in general without it getting political. So we all tend to stay away from it.

I don’t want any downtown neighborhood to have to deal with this crap. It hurts us all no matter where it’s happening.

[WoodDraw]

I don’t think it’s political at all. I’ve been very open about my desire for police to do their job. The support for aggressive cars and sideshows on this site is zero.

Again I think we’re conflating two different things.