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HAVEN?
Cops, residents find Waldo, Brookside safe
By: Kurt Kloeblen, Staff writer
While more than 70 murders and many other violent crimes have occurred in the Kansas City limits, Waldo and Brookside have maintained a certain level of safety.
“Waldo and Brookside do not have many issues,” Maj. Randall Hundley, who leads the Kansas City Police Department’s Metro Division, said.
The division is bordered by 47th Street on the north, 95th Street on the south, State Line Road on the west and Blue Ridge Road on the east.
Despite their proximity to areas where more violent crimes take place, that crime typically stays out of the Waldo and Brookside areas. Hundley said the credit should be shared between the Police Department, citizens and businesses.
“I think the some of the neighborhood associations take more of a lead in being aware and concerned,” Hundley said. “They take an interest in their neighborhood.”
The police and Waldo and Brookside neighbors meet regularly in the Community Police Action Co-op, which allows officers to provide information on crimes in the area and allows citizens to voice their concerns.
“They are very responsive and attentive to what we have to say,” Marti Lee, Waldo Area Business Association director, said.
Eula Inloes, Here’s Waldo Neighborhood Association president, said she has no complaints about police service in Waldo.
“We don’t have as much crime here,” Inloes said. “If we call, they come quick.”
Inloes said Here’s Waldo has set up a calling tree for emergencies or warnings that need to be passed along to the community.
All involved believe the “tight knit” neighborhoods are a big reason the crime rate remains low.
“It’s a good neighborhood, very quiet,” Inloes said. “At our homes association meeting each month, we tell what goes on and we have crime statistics and addresses. It’s pretty important to people.”
Of the crimes that do occur in Waldo and Brookside, Hundley said, most are property crimes.
“If anything, it’s burglary, breaking into homes,” Hundley said. “Sometimes that seems to be the crime of choice around those areas.”
Hundley said his advice to prevent property crime is the same as anywhere in the city.
“It’s not leaving things out in the open as an easy target,” Hundley said. “Don’t leave your vehicle unlocked. Don’t keep your valuables in your vehicle. CDs, DVDs, anything you can easily smash and grab, don’t leave out.”
Hundley said that with the close proximity to Leawood and Prairie Village in Kansas, the departments often work together with incidents that happen close to the state line on either side.
“We help them and they do the same,” Hundley said. “If a call comes out on or close to state line, we provide mutual aid. We haven’t ever had any type of complications with that.”
Lee said “it’s a perception problem” when safer areas such as Waldo and Brookside get lumped in with the rest of Kansas City.
“It’s because of the media. They don’t promote all of the positive things,” Lee said. “This is a good place to live and work. It’s very comfortable.”
Hundley said any police department would prefer to be in a crime prevention role.
“You can keep the numbers down by prevention,” Hundley said. “You can even help prevent crimes of opportunity.”
While other areas in the Metro Division keep his officers busy, Hundley said providing service to Waldo and Brookside has advantages.
“I think it’s manageable,” Hundley said. “Other parts of the city have so many hot spots, you’re busy putting out fires. Here, there are diverse populations so there’s a chance at a little bit of everything.”
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“Waldo and Brookside do not have many issues,” Maj. Randall Hundley, who leads the Kansas City Police Department’s Metro Division, said.
The division is bordered by 47th Street on the north, 95th Street on the south, State Line Road on the west and Blue Ridge Road on the east.
Despite their proximity to areas where more violent crimes take place, that crime typically stays out of the Waldo and Brookside areas. Hundley said the credit should be shared between the Police Department, citizens and businesses.
“I think the some of the neighborhood associations take more of a lead in being aware and concerned,” Hundley said. “They take an interest in their neighborhood.”
The police and Waldo and Brookside neighbors meet regularly in the Community Police Action Co-op, which allows officers to provide information on crimes in the area and allows citizens to voice their concerns.
“They are very responsive and attentive to what we have to say,” Marti Lee, Waldo Area Business Association director, said.
Eula Inloes, Here’s Waldo Neighborhood Association president, said she has no complaints about police service in Waldo.
“We don’t have as much crime here,” Inloes said. “If we call, they come quick.”
Inloes said Here’s Waldo has set up a calling tree for emergencies or warnings that need to be passed along to the community.
All involved believe the “tight knit” neighborhoods are a big reason the crime rate remains low.
“It’s a good neighborhood, very quiet,” Inloes said. “At our homes association meeting each month, we tell what goes on and we have crime statistics and addresses. It’s pretty important to people.”
Of the crimes that do occur in Waldo and Brookside, Hundley said, most are property crimes.
“If anything, it’s burglary, breaking into homes,” Hundley said. “Sometimes that seems to be the crime of choice around those areas.”
Hundley said his advice to prevent property crime is the same as anywhere in the city.
“It’s not leaving things out in the open as an easy target,” Hundley said. “Don’t leave your vehicle unlocked. Don’t keep your valuables in your vehicle. CDs, DVDs, anything you can easily smash and grab, don’t leave out.”
Hundley said that with the close proximity to Leawood and Prairie Village in Kansas, the departments often work together with incidents that happen close to the state line on either side.
“We help them and they do the same,” Hundley said. “If a call comes out on or close to state line, we provide mutual aid. We haven’t ever had any type of complications with that.”
Lee said “it’s a perception problem” when safer areas such as Waldo and Brookside get lumped in with the rest of Kansas City.
“It’s because of the media. They don’t promote all of the positive things,” Lee said. “This is a good place to live and work. It’s very comfortable.”
Hundley said any police department would prefer to be in a crime prevention role.
“You can keep the numbers down by prevention,” Hundley said. “You can even help prevent crimes of opportunity.”
While other areas in the Metro Division keep his officers busy, Hundley said providing service to Waldo and Brookside has advantages.
“I think it’s manageable,” Hundley said. “Other parts of the city have so many hot spots, you’re busy putting out fires. Here, there are diverse populations so there’s a chance at a little bit of everything.”