---
title: "The Paseo West Corridor Project"
type: "pdf"
year: "1998"
canonical: "/projects/610"
---

# 1998 Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem Oriented Policing 

![img-0.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/98-35/img-0.jpeg)

Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Central Patrol Division

The Herman Goldstein Award Selection Committee
Police Executive Research Forum
1120 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Suite 930
Washington, D.C. 20036
Dear Committee Members:
In Chief Bartch's absence, it is with great pleasure that I offer my support for the nomination of the officers of the Central Patrol Division for the Herman Goldstein Excellence in Problem Solving Award sponsored by your organization.

Due to the dedication and commitment displayed by these officers, coupled with the desire and ability to form partnerships with the community, a location that once facilitated criminal, narcotics, and prostitution activities that eroded the surrounding neighborhood is in the process of being revitalized and transformed into a safe and respectable homestead. The officers abilities to analyze, research, and create effective responses to problems exemplifies the Problem Oriented Policing philosophy embodied within the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.

The initiative, tenacity and dedication displayed by each these officers in solving an arduous problem deserves the recognition associated with this award.

Sincerely,
![img-1.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/98-35/img-1.jpeg)

Deputy Chief David R. Lynch
Acting Chief of Police

A Abstract

B Preface

C Text

D Paseo Corridor Drug \& Crime Free Community Partnership Agreement

E John TV Information/Prostitution Free Zone Information

F Crime Status Report

G Supportive Documents

ANNEX A

# Table of Contents

- [1998 Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem Oriented Policing](#1998-herman-goldstein-award-for-excellence-in-problem-oriented-policing)
- [ABSTRACT](#abstract)
- [PREFACE](#preface)
  - [THE PASEO CORRIDOR PROJECT](#the-paseo-corridor-project)

# ABSTRACT 

The officers of the Central Patrol Division, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, used the SARA model for problem solving to initiate a strategy called The Paseo Corridor Project in partnership with city, federal, community, and business entities.

Scanning showed that high density of low income housing, pervasive poverty, urban decay, disorder, easy access to the area, rampant crime and open air drug markets, irresponsible businesses, and paralyzing fear all augmented the predominate problems of high crime statistics and lack of relationship to the broader community.

Analysis examined demographics, crime rate, statistical data, crime analysis, officer observations, and high numbers of calls for service for this area. Prior attempts to positively impact the area through traditional law enforcement activities (i.e. zero tolerance, proactive assignments) and by using small scale limited problem solving techniques, had no long term effect and did not address the root causes.

Response meant that if true resolution to the problems that had plagued this community for years was to occur, then these traditional law enforcement techniques and/or problem solving on a small scale would not suffice. Partnerships had to be forged. All of the "shareholders" involved resolved to create a formal partnership, wherein each agency, business, community member, and person were held responsible and accountable for their decided role.

Assessment has shown the project, now in it's third year, has yielded a 50\% reduction in crime. Residents, business owners, and the community as a whole perceive the corridor area to be vastly improved with regard to crime and narcotics activity. Physical improvements coupled with prioritized attention to the types of people who live in the area (lease agreements) and frequent the area ( criminals and trespassers) have tremendously positively impacted quality of life.

ANNEX B

# PREFACE 

## THE PASEO CORRIDOR PROJECT

The Paseo Corridor project is presently in place at the Central Patrol Division. This initiative focuses on an approximate 15 block area within the cities urban core, bordered by Lexington Avenue to Truman Road, north to south, and Charlotte Street to Montgall Street, east to west, a long term problematic area where traditional methods of enforcement have had only short term positive results.

At the onset, the project began with partnering between the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department's Central Patrol Division, COMBAT Office (Community Backed Anti-Drug Tax) of the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, federally subsidized apartments within the project boundaries, and the Housing Authority of Kansas City. As the underlying problems were identified, the partnerships were expanded to include the Housing and Urban Development, City Prosecutors, Parks and Recreation of the City, the Drug Abatement Response Team (DART), the Mayor's office, the City Council, Neighborhood and Community Services, and Project Neighborhood. The lead agency, however, remained the police officers assigned to the department's Central Patrol Division. This initial team began to address specific identified problems and solutions.

Sub-committees were formed to address problems such as the development of a formal partnership, standardization of lease/rules and regulations, law enforcement endeavors, a faith initiative to involve local churches, resident

empowerment, and economic development. The committees were commissioned with the task of developing strategies, tactics, success measures and key dates to be developed during committee meetings with updates given to the community at the Paseo Corridor general meetings held once a month. The Paseo Corridor project is the largest community/police based project initiated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department to date. Central Patrol Division's involvement includes officers and supervisors from all three shifts, affording a free flow of information regarding the project to all officers.

Partnering began with police officers assigned to the Housing Authority of Kansas City. Their primary assignment is enforcement within federally funded properties, five of which were identified as being located within the Paseo Corridor. Since Housing Authority properties fall within the Weed and Seed area, additional resources were able to be committed to the project. As a result, officers assigned to the Central Patrol Division are afforded additional opportunities to strategically address crime problems pro-actively.

Currently in place within the boundaries of the Paseo Corridor is a process requested through the City Attorney's office whereby all persons arrested within the Paseo Corridor are required to post bond in lieu of signature bonds.

Parks and Recreation has begun to address problems related to a pavilion park area at 1100 Paseo Blvd., a constant location of undesirable and unwelcome troublesome persons who prevent the park area from being accessible to those who live in the neighborhood. Officers at the division obtained petitions from the community to have the area of 9th Street to 14th Street on Paseo Blvd., 11th

Street on Woodland Avenue, posted no parking to prevent undesirables from outside of the neighborhood transgressing into the neighborhood by way of vehicles. The apartments in the project area have issued parking stickers for residence, whereby vehicles that do not belong on the properties can quickly be identified and removed. Also in place is combined effort with the apartment managers to jointly employ off duty officers to add extra enforcement power to the properties.

Past experiences have given us hope that these types of approaches have the best promise of achieving a permanent solution to a long standing problem. These experiences have helped to bridge the void that sometimes exists for new officers whose elements of assignment have just begun the problem oriented approach to problem solving. The path this problem solving effort took from beginning to the present is outlined in the following documentation.

ANNEX C

The Paseo Corridor project began in late 1996. Officers and command staff within the division recognized calls for service were continually made within this 15 block radius area, but little or no impact on crime and narcotics resulted. The corridor area was consistently in the ranking of the top ten calls for service at the division. Armed with the SARA model, the division went about the task of initiating concise and directed problem solving in an effort to positively impact this area.

Officers using scanning, identified the nature of the problem as being complex and having many components. The area was conducive to criminal activity, narcotics sales, and prostitution activities. Geographically, it was an area of easy access, with a main city thoroughfare travelling directly down the center. Federally funded and federally subsidized properties in the area seemed to be havens for drug activity and were well known to the surrounding communities as a place where drugs could be purchased openly. Several homicides occurred, the victims of which were suburbanites, involved in drug deals that turned violent. So engrained was this cycle that crime and the resulting components had become a way of life. Businesses in a close proximity became victims to thefts, stealing, and burglaries as criminals preyed on them to support their drug habits. Abandoned buildings became home to drug users and prostitutes, who in turn preyed upon citizens on foot, who became robbery victims. The entire circumstance became perpetual with no apparent solution.

Officers at the Central Patrol Division approached COMBAT, the Community Backed Anti-Drug Tax section of the Jackson County Prosecutor's office to partner with them to reach resolution.

Analysis provided insight. The affected area was comprised of 5 neighborhoods, which encompassed two city council districts. There were a total of 11 government assisted project-based housing communities identified. A total of 3500+ residents reside in the government assisted housing. The area was found to be ethnically and culturally diverse. Two interstate hiways provided immediate access to the project area. Factors leading to the economic decline of the area were identified as the high density of low income housing, pervasive poverty, rampant crime and open air drug markets, urban decay and disorder, irresponsible business ownership, paralyzing fear, hopelessness and despair, and no representative voice of the community.

Entering into the response phase, in partnership with the community, the Paseo Corridor strategy was developed. The strategy consists of three phases.

Phase I of the strategy consists of SAFETY, SECURITY, and ECONOMIC STABILITY. The SAFETY components were identified as follows: Improve the perception of personal safety; improve the residents ability to protect themselves; increase the residents participation in neighborhood watch/crime prevention programs; increase the level of communication between residents, management, and police; actively and swiftly evict residents which meet eviction criteria. The SECURITY components were identified as: Reduce the amount of open air drug

markets; increase effectiveness/impact of police, property security, and off-duty police; reduce the amount of trespassing; reduce the amount of loitering and illegal activity occurring outside of a liquor store and within a park area; reduce the amount of prostitution occurring. The components of ECONOMIC STABILITY were identified as: Improve the physical appearance of the community; improve resident selection and retention; attract and retain quality residents to the Paseo Corridor; improve the trust level between residents and on sight management; improve property security; reduce vacancy and turn-over rates at each property.

Phase II of the strategy consists of LIFESTYLE ENRICHMENT and SELFSUFFICIENCY. This strategy involves positively impacting resident apathy; improving the residents ability to be self-sufficient; improving family skills; increasing the number of residents with GED or high school diplomas; developing a network of service agencies to refer clients to needed services; and to provide opportunities for youth between the ages of 10-15 years of age.

Phase III of the strategy consists of COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. This phase of the strategy involves establishing a grass root effort, community support and leadership presence; increasing the number of new businesses in the project area; leveraging the strength of area businesses, community development corporations and neighborhood associations to attract new businesses and more jobs; increasing the number of employed residents; increasing resident involvement and responsibility in managing their housing community; leveraging resources of each housing community to provide a broader range of services; leveraging the strength of

churches; and to generate recognizable community support for this effort via media.

To facilitate the implementation of these strategies, officers researched and obtained profile information with regard to the typical age, sex, race, marital status, educational level, and job status of the individuals residing in the project area. All involved focused on developing and executing a comprehensive prioritized plan which identified the key factors adversely affecting those neighboring housing communities and identified solutions to achieve and sustain the overall goal of decent, safe, and affordable housing.

A hypotheses was defined: The establishment of an active, cohesive Paseo Corridor Partnership will result in the following:

- a reduction in crime
- an increased perception of personal safety
- a reduction in the number of intra-Paseo housing evictions
- reduction in maintenance cost related to litter and property damage.
- a greater visibility through the park area
- an overall increase in occupancy level
- a lower truancy rate
- higher grade point averages
- increased employment rate
- increased residents with GED/High School Diploma
- increased funding from city, state, federal grants

It was realized that, initially, increased direct and in-direct costs would be incurred by each property, business, Parks \& Recreation, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department to cover additional lighting, patrols, property damage, no trespassing signs, litter, fencing, exterior property repair, off-duty security, court costs and increased vacancies.

An anonymous Hotline was established by the Central Patrol Division to receive calls related to crime and narcotics activity. The calls received were then assigned to district officers for resolution. The results of calls received and/or dispositions were presented at each monthly meeting with the community, reinforcing the police were acting on the information provided.

A need to change the way landlords were obtaining criminal history related to renters was identified. Previously, landlords had been receiving only traffic related conviction information because of a flawed criminal record request form. Officers taught the landlords and building owners the type of information that should be requested.

It was determined that no alcohol permits would be issued for a park area within the project boundaries. Additionally, the park was posted relating to city ordinances controlling open bottles and glass containers.

Because of negative impact from three motels within the corridor boundaries, a motel enforcement project was initiated. These motels leased by the hour, allowing for transient and prostitution activities on the properties. In response, The motels were targeted for enforcement and codes violations with warnings and citations issued.

In November of 1996, the police department realigned it's patrol district boundaries. This change in boundaries resulted in the Paseo Corridor being split in to two sectors instead of one. Doing so was seen as being counter productive and as such, it was requested that this area remain geographically defined as before. This request was granted.

In January of 1997 a formal partnership was developed, outlining the roles and goals of all involved (see attachment C) The signing involved a large turnout from the community as well as support from the U.S. Attorney's office, the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services and other federal agencies.

In April of 1997, the "One Strike" security and enforcement strategy was implemented within the corridor boundaries. Andrew Boeddeker, Director of Pubic Housing gave an overview of the policy. A roundtable discussion was convened wherein one strike housing issues were discussed. Workshops were conducted relevant to resident's roles in security and enforcement strategies, law enforcement roles, Housing Authority, and HUD roles to ensure all key players were on board.

In May of 1997, the Paseo Corridor project was selected to be featured as an "All American Cities" tour as an example to visitors on how successful partnerships work.

Graffiti removal demonstrations were conducted by city entities. Because of this effort, city budgets related to graffiti removal were not reduced as previously slated.

A recycling/buy back center, targeted to be a self sustaining, was established in Wayne Miner, one of the five federally funded housing entities.

City ordinances were passed eliminating hourly rental rates at motels. Motels are now allowed only to rent on a daily basis, which in turn impacted the ability of prostitutes and their Johns to afford rooms.

Due to long term prostitution activity on Independence Avenue, within the corridor boundaríes, a project dubbed "John TV" was initiated with city council support, wherein patrons who solicit prostitutes and are arrested, will have their names and photographs featured on the city's cable channel. This program has proved to be a highly effective deterrent tool (see attachment D ).

Media attention with regard to the Paseo Corridor project began to grow. The media provided necessary and needed focus to convey the message to members of the public which in turn created support related to city ordinances needed to improve quality of life within the corridor boundaries.

The Missouri Legislation passed two key bills impacting the corridor project. One bill related to expedient eviction related to drug activity; the second related to felony convictions for repeat prostitution offenders.

In August of 1997, work began on a Safe Neighborhood Action Plan grant for the corridor boundaries. The grant provided, in part, for citizen academies and pagers to be purchased and assigned to the officers working within the corridor boundaries. The citizen academies would serve as a valuable tool to educate the community with regard to the role of police officers assigned to the project area.

The pagers will provide more direct access to the officers by the members of the community and hopefully, increase response time.

A quality of life survey to measure the impact of prostitution and related activities on the quality of life in neighborhoods is currently being administered and evaluated by the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Administration of Justice Department.

A prostitution geographic restriction plan was presented to the city council for consideration. This ordinance was passed which allowed for a "prostitution free zone" area prohibiting convicted prostitutes from being in this area. By establishing this geographical restriction, officers were able to arrest convicted prostitutes "on site" when observed within the restricted area.

The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Police Athletic League, a mentoring program for youths, moved into the Clymer Center, the recreation and activity center for the five federally funded housing entities. This resulted in greater opportunities for the youth within the corridor boundaries to interact with officers through sports.

Mayor Cleaver's office proclaimed that the success of the Paseo Corridor Partnership had greatly contributed to the city's ability to establish a jazz district to the immediate south of the corridor boundaries. The Negro Leagues Baseball Hall of Fame was also erected in this same area.

In December of 1997, a review of crime stats in the Paseo Corridor project area revealed a significant decline in part 1 crimes. The comparison dates and times were Sept/Oct of 1996 as compared to Sept/Oct of 1997.

| Murders - | down $100 \%$ |
| :-- | :-- |
| Robberies - | down $50 \%$ |
| Assaults - | down $20 \%$ |
| Burglaries- | down $15 \%$ |
| Stealing - | down $22 \%$ |
| Stolen Autos - | down $38 \%$ |
| Overall Crime- | down $50 \%$ |

An abandoned hospital within the corridor boundaries was purchased by a private entity to be refurbished into a senior living center. The developer credited the efforts of the Paseo Corridor project with changing his perception of the community with regard to safety and security.

In April of 1998, NIKE donated a new gym floor to the Clymer Center. This flooring is made out of recycled tennis shoes (approximately $\$ 60,000$ donation).

Managers of all assisted housing communities within the corridor boundaries attended and received training related to COMBAT'S Landlord Training Program, which included narcotics and meth lab identification training. The program also focuses on how they can attract and retain a better class of tenants (see attachment E).

All of the combined efforts chronicled here occurred through partnerships with the community, law enforcement, businesses, and city, state and federal government agencies. The opportunity for the Paseo Corridor project to begin was based on the problem identification and problem solving skills of the women and men assigned to the Central Patrol Division. Without their insight, tenacity, and

drive, this effort could not have occurred. This effort, coupled with the partnerships as reflected in the Paseo Corridor Drug \& Crime Free Community Partnership, included six branches of city government, eighteen neighborhood and community agencies, six Federal (non-law enforcement agencies), two state (non-law enforcement) representatives, eleven resident leaders, five property managers/owners, and fifteen law enforcement agencies (see attachment C, pages 3 and 4$)$.

As a result of the project, a Law Enforcement Collaboration Team was developed to partner with regard to enforcement strategies directed at common goals. Issues that the Law Enforcement Collaboration have addressed include initiatives against irresponsible motels in throughout the city and irresponsible businesses that contribute to the social and moral decline of neighborhoods. This team is comprised of local and federal law enforcement partners and thereby has a broader reach when addressing problem solving issues.

The Paseo Corridor Project is now in it's third year. Many of the original supervisors and officers who helped start this project have moved on to other assignments. Each new supervisor and officer assigned to the division fosters the sense of dedication and commitment to this project. This level of commitment is testimony to an understanding of the problem solving process and the long term changes that we as police officers can now make for and with the communities we serve.

Assessment results can be measured by the reduction of calls for service in the corridor area, the reduction of crime, the increased participation of residents,

and the reduction of the perception of crime. Most noteworthy, aside from all qualitative measurements, is the success that is evident when the members of this community are no longer afraid to leave their residences and children once again play in public parks.

All officers involved in this problem solving project have had extensive training related to problem solving and the SARA model. Supervisors within the division were afforded additional training by attending the Problem-Oriented Policing Conferences held in San Diego for the past several years. The officers who have been and are currently involved in this problem solving effort received no special incentives. The officers were afforded the opportunity to read periodicals, Office of Justice Programs literature, and books related to problem solving/community oriented policing.