JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Barbara Anne Washington, D-Kansas City, will be hosting a town hall event to discuss youth violence on Saturday, Nov. 20. The Kansas City mayor, the principal of Central High School and members of the Kansas City Police Department will take part in the event and listen to youth from various backgrounds share their stories about the issue of youth violence throughout the Kansas City community, with the hopes of developing legislative solutions to address the problem. The Jackson County prosecutor has also been invited to attend the event.
“In order to build safer, stronger communities, we need to come together and talk about the major issues we’re facing as a community,” Sen. Washington said. “With that in mind, I look forward to working with my fellow Kansas Citians at this town hall to develop solutions and strategies for curbing youth violence in our state.”
Youth violence has been an issue of growing concern over the past several years, as the number of children who commit and are impacted by acts of violence grows. For instance, in 2020, 10-19 year-olds made up 16% of homicide offenders and 11% of victims reported by the Kansas City Police Department, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This is an increase from 2017, when KCPD reported 12% of homicide offenders and 7% of victims in this age range.
The town hall will be hosted from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It will be held at the Morning Star Community Center, 2411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, MO. Face masks are required for all attendees. For more information, please contact Sen. Washington’s office at 573-751-3158.